The Road to Wisteria Lane The Road to Wisteria

Transcription

OSWEGO
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT OSWEGO  VOL. 31, NO. 1  SPRING 2005
The Road to
Wisteria Lane
Christine Estabrook ’73 on a life in
acting and ‘Desperate Housewives’
From Tavern to Tenor
Music Man
Reverend Doctor Grandma
Your sunset is waiting . . .
Come home to
Oswego for
REUNION
CLASSES:
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1974
1975
1976
1980
1995
1999
2000
2001
There’s only one
place to reconnect
with classmates, see
favorite professors
and rediscover your
own younger self —
all under a world-class
sunset.
For the most up-to-date information on Reunion 2005,
check out the Web site at
www.oswego.edu/alumni/reunion/
That’s Reunion 2005
at Oswego. Don’t miss
Register online, watch for registration materials in the
out on all the fun!
mail or call the Reunion Hotline at 315-312-5559
Pass It On!
C
hances are, someone helped you on your way to an
Oswego degree. Maybe it was a parent, a relative or an
anonymous benefactor. Won’t you pass along the benefits
of an Oswego education? Please consider donating to The Fund for Oswego
so that generations of young people can benefit from the same great
education you had. It’s a perfect way to honor the memory of those
who made your own success possible. For more information, contact
the Office of University Development at 315-312-3003 or go online to
www.oswego.edu/giving/
Office of University Development • 100 Sheldon Hall, Oswego, NY 13126 • Phone: 315-312-3003 • Fax: 315-312-6389 • www.oswego.edu/giving/
Dr. Virginia Pratt
H
aving earned a bachelor’s degree
especially enjoyed having nontraditional
from Allegheny College in 1950
students take her courses.
and a master’s from Cornell
“They brought an element of
University in 1957, Virginia Pratt
experience and resolve to the classwas well satisfied with her
room that was of benefit to
work in student personnel at
everyone,” she says.
Buffalo State until she began
Noting that professors
to contemplate her future.
are
often
in
the dark when it comes
Since she was responsible for
to
knowing
the degree of effeccampus organizations, she spent a
lot of time at fraternity and sorority H A L L O F F A M E tiveness of their classes, she says,
“The exciting part of teaching is
functions.
to see that light bulb suddenly go off when a
“One day,” she now recalls, “I said to myself: Virginia, when you are 50, do you still want student gets the point, when a student makes a
to be going to beer parties?” She answered her connection between what is happening in class at
own question in the negative and took some time the moment and some other idea or theory in his
off to see the world before 1964, when she or her background.
“You never know whether you are making
enrolled in the doctoral program in American
any impression at all on students. But sometimes,
Studies at the University of Minnesota.
In 1968, when Charles Snyder was chair, they tell you later. The best time for me was getPratt was hired to teach in the history department ting a book in the mail one day that had been
at SUNY Oswego. She remembers that in those dedicated to me, Richard Izzett and Thomas
turbulent and divisive days, faculty members Judd.” That book was written by David L. Faigfaced many challenges as they worked with stu- man ’79 and he thanked his former professors for
dents who opposed the Vietnam war and sought giving him the foundation on which he built his
career in law and academe.
greater freedom on campus.
Since retiring in 1990, Pratt has followed a
“The hardest thing on some faculty was to
help young men along so they didn’t get drafted. migratory pattern of spending summers in
We didn’t talk about it much, but there was an Oswego and winters in Alabama. This year, howeffort to help the men keep their academics up,” ever, instead of packing her R.V. and putting her
feline companions, Butterscotch and Mr. Rogers,
she says.
Skills she developed working in her “first on board for the trip south, she landed in the hoscareer” in student services informed and pital for the removal of part of a lung. After weeks
strengthened Dr. Pratt’s classroom techniques, in intensive care and two months in the hospital,
and she always felt comfortable in the company she was home on Valley View Drive for a subdued
of young people. She says, however, that she Christmas with her sister and brother-in-law.
U
FAC LTY
Dr. Virginia Pratt
“It has been humbling for me to receive so
many cards and to know that so many people
thought of me throughout this ordeal,”Pratt says.
Clearly frustrated at the months of inactivity, she
is eager to return to her life of travel and volunteering. (She has previously been active in gardening and golf and has volunteered for the Safe
Haven Board, the Human Concerns Center,
Oswego Public Library, the Ladies Home Auxiliary and the Cancer Society as well as the Oswego
Emeriti Association and the Oswego State Fall
Classic.)
Pratt says she is confident that the snow will
melt from the R.V. and spring will return to
Oswego. Then, she says, with a bit of mischief in
her blue eyes and a chuckle in her voice, “Just as
soon as the energy comes back, I’m ready to
roar!” 
— Linda Morley Loomis ’90, M ’97
Nonprofit
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Oswego Alumni
Association
KING ALUMNI HALL
OSWEGO, NY 13126
If Oswego is addressed to a son or
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no longer maintains a permanent
address at your home, please clip
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SPRING 2005
OSWEGO
8
Alumni
Association of the
State University of
New York
at Oswego
Vol. 31, No. 1
14
Gerard Powers ’80 once sang in Hewitt Union’s
Tavern. Now he is an internationally acclaimed
opera singer.
The Road to Wisteria Lane
19
For Christine Estabrook ’73, the ABC hit show,
“Desperate Housewives,” is just the latest in a steady
string of roles on stage, screen and TV.
Music Man
23
Broadway producer Richard Jay-Alexander —
aka Dick Fernandez ’74 — talks about the ties
that bind Oswego alumni to one another.
14
26
She’s 88, but that doesn’t stop E. Catherine
Salisbury ’63, MSED ’73 — farm wife,
great-grandmother, minister and author —
from pursuing new challenges.
26
PLUS
Campus Currents
Club News
Class Notes
Weddings
The Last Word
3
12
29
44
48
ON THE COVER:
Christine Estabrook ’73. Photo by David Zaitz Photography
39
C A M P U S
CURRENTS
Renovation of Sheldon’s west wing begins
heldon Hall, long ago the home of
Oswego Normal School’s Practice
School, will once again ring with the shouts
of children. Halls that greeted prospective
students will once more welcome wannabe
Oswegonians. And even some of the old
graffiti will grace desks and blackboards.
All of these changes are part of the renovations now under way in the west wing of
Sheldon Hall, Oswego’s historic landmark
building.
S
John Moore of facilities design and management shows the tiered classroom in Sheldon
Hall. Inset, left: The Admissions Office will
return to its historic location in Sheldon Hall.
Built in 1913, the college’s original “Old
Main” is a historic building, and as such,
renovations will include original doors,
woodwork and detailing, according to Tom
Simmonds ’84, director of facilities management. The corridors, the door openings and
transoms through openings will be restored
as they were originally. Old doors that were
stored for years are going back up.
The $4.6 million renovation of Sheldon
Hall is part of the five-year capital plan
approved by the State University and funded
by the State University Construction Fund.
Renovations are expected to be completed by
January 2006. In all, Oswego is expected to
receive $52 million for capital projects.
The ground level of Sheldon Hall’s west
wing will house the Children’s Center, the
day care center which has served college and
community members in Swetman Hall
since 1986.
The mid-level of the west wing will be
the new home of the Admissions Office, and
will include staff offices, meeting rooms and
classroom space that can be used for admissions presentations.
The tiered historic classroom on the
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main level will be restored, complete with
some of the old graffiti on the desks and on
some of the blackboards.
The original seats will be reupholstered
and reused, and old woodwork will be
restored.“The room will have a neat flavor to
it,” said Simmonds.
With the traditional architecture matched with modern presentation technology, the
tiered room will be used as a general classroom and for admissions presentations and
orientation sessions.
The top floor of Sheldon Hall will include classrooms renovated to support the
activity at the eastern end of campus, including the School of Education in Park and
Wilbur halls.
“This blend of modern teaching techniques and an historical building continues
what the college has been doing in the past
few years, re-energizing and revitalizing the
eastern end of campus,” said Simmonds. 
OSWEGO
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C A M P U S
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Hewitt bequest to benefit Sheldon Hall
PHOTO BY SALLY VAN BUREN
HAZEL F. HEWITT ’29,
a Campus School teacher
who retired in 1974 as
an associate professor
and died in 2003 at the
age of 94, has remembered Oswego in her will.
Hewitt left a bequest
to the college, which will
be used to help renovate
Sheldon Hall, where she
taught for so many years
as a kindergarten teacher
in the Campus School.
Hazel F.
As of press time, the
Hewitt ’29
college had received
nearly $48,000 from
Hewitt’s estate.
Hewitt’s roots at the
college were deep and her love of Sheldon
Hall was strong. In the Spring/Summer
2000 issue of Oswego, she reminisced about
her educational beginnings: in the kindergarten room at Sheldon Hall. “I loved that
first year of school, everything about it. To
get to campus, I caught a ride in a horsedrawn wagon, or, in winter, a sleigh.” She
chose Oswego for her normal school
education. “I was just born with the idea
that Oswego was something special. I think
I always wanted to teach, to be with little
children,” she told Oswego. After teaching
elsewhere she would return to that kindergarten classroom in Sheldon to teach until
her retirement.
Hazel had two brothers who died
before she did: Willis D. and Jesse Merle
Hewitt. Jesse was the first Normal School
student to lose his life in World War I and
Hewitt Union is named in his honor.
During her lifetime, Hewitt also established the Hazel F. Hewitt Scholarship Fund,
which supports students in the School of
Education.
To donate to the Hazel F. Hewitt Scholarship Fund in her memory, contact the Office
of University Development at 315-312-3003
or make a secure online donation at
https://oswegoalumni.oswego.edu/
development/giftform.html 
Students in the Campus School once occupied Sheldon Hall, as in this archival photo.
Now, the west wing will again ring with the
shouts of little ones as the Children’s Center
moves into the lower level.
Speed next ORI book
Contractors work on the walls of the new
Campus Center, Oswego’s first new construction in more than 30 years. This huge undertaking will connect all aspects of campus life
— academic, social and athletic — in one
integrated central complex. The complex is
expected to be completed by fall 2006.
OSWEGO
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Spring 2005
The Speed of Dark by
Elizabeth Moon sped to the
top of the list to become
the 2005 Oswego Reading
Initiative book selection to
be read next summer by the
SUNY Oswego campus
community. The book is the
first novel in the ORI series.
Set in the near future,
when most diseases are history, the book tells the story of a welladjusted autistic man who is offered an
experimental cure for his condition. “If
I had not been what I am, what would
I have been?” he wonders.
“A lot of novels promise to change
the way a reader sees the world; The
Speed of Dark actually does,” the
Washington Post Book World wrote.
The Seattle Times called it “an engaging
journey into the dark edges that define
the self.”
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The book won the 2003
Nebula Award for best novel
and was a finalist for the Arthur
C. Clarke Award, both science fiction prizes. Moon is a well-known
science fiction writer, but The
Speed of Dark is generally categorized as literary fiction.
Previous ORI selections
at SUNY Oswego have been
Haven by Ruth Gruber, Fast Food Nation
by Eric Schlosser and The Lone Ranger
and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by
Sherman Alexie.
As with those selections, a number
of presentations, special events and
course activities will be planned to tie
in thematically with The Speed of Dark
next fall semester.
For more information on the annual
reading project, visit the ORI Web site
at http://www.oswego.edu/ori. 
C A M P U S
CURRENTS
Small classes make big difference
he idea of emphasizing smaller classes
for freshmen is to make a larger impact
on learning. So far, the results of an expanded
effort to that effect on campus are promising.
Starting this fall, the college included all
freshmen in the FirstChoice experience of at
least one class with enrollment capped at
19 students.
Better interaction is a common theme
cited by the budding journalism majors in a
“History of American Journalism” class
taught by Linda Loomis ’90, M ’97.
“I think it’s a better environment because
she doesn’t only lecture to us, she asks our
opinion,”said Gloriel Smith ’08 of Rochester.
“We feel like we get to know each student by
heart and make new friends.”
Dan Kruse ’08 of North Salem also
noted the increase in individual attention.
“It’s a lot easier to get help from the teacher,”
he said. “She knows you and can help you
more specifically.You can find out more what
you as a person need to work on.”
In history professor Gwen Kay’s class,
T
“The American Experience: 1920s,” freshmen
found the smaller class size allowing for
opportunities for learning to come alive, such
as exploring fads and fashions from the era or
discussing topics of the day.
“It gives us firsthand experience of what
the 1920s were like,” said Greg Zak ’08 of
Hampton Bays. “With the smaller classes, it’s
better.”
Tyler Branch ’08 of Saranac Lake has
found that the class offers better group interaction. “It gives a chance for everyone to be
heard,” he said.
From a teaching perspective, Kay finds
the smaller classes rewarding. “With 19
students, I can assign each person a piece of
the Leopold-Loeb case, from evidence to
newspaper accounts to court testimony, and
we can piece together what happened.We can
engage in debate — prosecution versus defense — about the issues in the Scopes trial,”
she said. “A class significantly larger would
make these and other activities logistically
impossible, and impractical.” 
Scholarship helps
student visit Japan
AN INTEREST IN JAPANESE culture
and encouraging other students to
explore the world led to Liz Kalisiak ’05,
a double major in biology and anthropology from North Tonawanda, becoming the first-ever SUNY Oswego student to earn a prestigious Benjamin A.
Gilman International Scholarship for
study abroad.
Of the 1,276 applications last year
to the Gilman program, administered
by the Institute of International
Education, only 392 received scholarships. The $5,000 award assists
Kalisiak in her current studies at the
University of Tsukuba in Japan.
The Gilman program “is very selective and awards are partly based on a
proposal that students make for a project they will complete upon returning
to the U.S.,” said Katherine Quinn, a program specialist in the college’s Office of
International Education and Programs.
In her proposal, Kalisiak promised to
develop promotional materials and mentoring opportunities to encourage other
students to pursue Gilman and Tsukuba
study-abroad opportunities.
SUNY Oswego usually sends four
or five students every year to Tsukuba,
but the college’s educational ties with
Japan date back nearly 130 years. In
the 1870s, the Japanese government
sent Hideo Takamine 1877 to the
Oswego Normal School to learn and
import the “Oswego Method” of object
teaching. The insights he brought back
transformed and modernized Japanese
education, and Takamine Drive on
campus honors his legacy. 
CORRECTION
Freshmen in Gwen Kay’s “The American Experience: 1920s” class demonstrate some of the fads
of the decade.
5
In the Fall-Winter 2004 issue of
Oswego, we spelled the name of the
subject of “Queer Eye for the Coach
Guy” incorrectly. Mark Finegan ’89
received a makeover from the Fab
Five on the popular TV show.
OSWEGO
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Spring 2005
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Business society
‘exemplary’
It has become a tradition for the last four summers for Oswego State lacrosse alumni to return
to campus to share their love of lacrosse with kids and show their dedication to teaching the
sport. “At this camp, we want professional coaches coaching the players, not students,” said Dan
Witmer ’82, M ’87, the camp director. The camp boasts an experienced staff, comprised of all
alumni. The current staff includes Dan Bartlett ’96, Tom Kincella ’87, Robert “Doc” Nelson ’78,
Chip Lupa M ’05, Chad Spruyt ’99, Jason Webb ’02, Kevin Scanlon ’00 and Scott Tucker, former Oswego State women’s lacrosse coach. The 2005 Oswego State Lacrosse Camp is slated to
take place from July 24 to July 28. Boys ages 8 to 16 can sign up until the start of camp, but
those who register before June 16 will receive a free Oswego State lacrosse T-shirt. This is a
competitive teaching camp, not a recruiting one, Witmer said. He added that the camp is geared
toward beginners, as well as returning lacrosse players. To register for the camp, or for more
information, e-mail Witmer at witmer@oswego.edu. Above, Coach Chip Lupa M ’05, (center)
explains proper handling of equipment to a group of campers.
THE SUNY OSWEGO CHAPTER OF
Beta Gamma Sigma has been recognized as an exemplary chapter for its
superior level of membership acceptance last year. Of the 417 collegiate
chapters, only 52 were recognized as
exemplary chapters.
With exemplary status, Oswego’s
chapter is now eligible to award a
$1,000 Beta Gamma Sigma scholarship next year.
Pamela Cox, associate professor
of management, is the chapter’s
faculty adviser.
Founded in 1913, Beta Gamma
Sigma is the honor society for AACSB
International, the Association for the
Advancement of Collegiate Schools of
Business. The mission of Beta Gamma
Sigma is to encourage and honor academic achievement in the study of
business and to foster personal and
professional excellence among its
members. Of the 300,000 students
expected to graduate from business
programs each year, only about
20,000 will be invited to join Beta
Gamma Sigma. 
Murphy supports faculty-student collaborations
orking with the Research Foundation
has helped Tim Murphy ’74 become
very aware of both the important work being
done in terms of research and the impact that
the educational mission and the research
mission have on everyone, but especially
students.
That realization is part of what fueled his
$52,000 pledge to the Campaign for Oswego
to support student-faculty collaborations.
Students involved in research on SUNY
campuses are the future teachers, scientists,
doctors and lawyers, says Murphy, the executive vice president of the Research Foundation of SUNY.
“I think by giving back you help to insure
that future generations will have the same
opportunities that you did,” Murphy says.
“And in some ways it’s very selfish. I don’t
W
OSWEGO
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Spring 2005
want to be retired in a
world full of people I
have to support. I
want people who are
doing great things.”
Passing on those
opportunities is important to Murphy,
who credits Oswego
Tim Murphy ’74
for setting him on the
path he would take in his professional life.
Faculty members and then-President
James Purdue — with whom Murphy took
several courses — pointed the young man
from Ilion to a number of potential paths and
guided him on his way. He went on to earn a
master’s in public administration from
SUNY Albany and enjoy a career in public
service that has lasted more than 25 years.
6
“That kind of guidance was crucial for
me and is for a lot of people,” he said. “And I
got it in a setting that was as near to perfect
as it could get! I just feel a huge debt to the
university for helping me become what I am.”
Murphy sees higher education as a “pure
good,” especially in its research mission.
“There is nothing bad about it, any way you
look at it,” he says.
These reasons also fuel his desire to leave
a legacy to higher education. So Murphy has
made Oswego College Foundation the sole
beneficiary of his estate.
When he considers that the work of universities is “to advance society,improve society,
to make people healthier, to make people
wiser,” Murphy says, “I can’t see a better way
of using whatever money is available when I
go than supporting that kind of work.” 
C A M P U S
CURRENTS
Rosenbaum named ‘Conservation Hero’
he U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service New
York Field Office has bestowed one of its
first “Conservation Hero”awards on Dr. Peter
A. Rosenbaum, professor of biology at SUNY
Oswego.
“It’s for people that work tirelessly on
rare species projects and may not receive a
great deal of acknowledgement for their
efforts,” said Robyn A. Niver of the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service New York Field Office,
citing Rosenbaum’s efforts on behalf of bog
turtles.
For more than 10 years, Rosenbaum has
pursued several approaches to helping the
endangered turtles survive, from identifying
and protecting their habitats to collecting
pregnant turtles so that their young could be
raised in the safety of a zoo.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funds
three projects that Rosenbaum is now conducting in association with Andy Nelson of
Rice Creek Field Station. They are studying
bogs in Oswego and adjacent counties to
identify habitats suitable for bog turtles, and
they are looking to control two invasive plant
T
species — common reed and glossy buckthorn — that tend to dominate a wetland
habitat and make it no longer suitable for bog
turtles.
He is also working on projects with the
state Department of Environmental Conservation to determine sites where bog turtles
currently live in Western and Central New
York and to define the methodology that
should be used in this region to make that
determination.
“It’s really hard to prove presence,”
Rosenbaum explained, since bog turtles
spend most of their time out of sight. There
were only three sites in Western and Central
New York where they were known to exist,
and Rosenbaum has expanded the list to five
since 2000.
Rosenbaum is active in efforts to protect
natural habitats from human development
by working with various land trusts to
acquire land and by challenging government
officials from the state and the town of
Richland in court. 
Peter Rosenbaum with the “Conservation
Hero” plaque awarded to him by the U. S. Fish
and Wildlife Service. The two paintings he is
holding depict the species of bog turtle for
which his research is being recognized. In his
lap are sister species of the bog turtle: a
spotted turtle and a wood turtle.
Grad stats
ACCORDING TO THE LATEST
survey from the Office of Career
Services, 83 percent of 2003 Oswego
graduates are either working in fulltime jobs or pursuing graduate
degrees. While a smaller percentage
found work, those who did earned a
higher average salary than the previous class. The percentage of graduates choosing to attend graduate
school shot up from 12 percent in
2002 to 18 percent for 2003 graduates. See the whole survey online at
http://www.oswego.edu/other_
campus/student.svcs/career_svcs/
alumni/alumnisurvey.html. 
Erin Ryan ’04 (third from left), a graphic design graduate, celebrates with her family, including
sister Kristin Ryan Overholt ’96 (at right) during the dessert reception and champagne toast on
the eve of December graduation. The reception, sponsored by the Oswego Alumni Association,
was held in historic Sheldon Hall.
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OSWEGO
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Spring 2005
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Students dig it
SUNY OSWEGO’S ANTHROPOLOGY
students can get even more hands-on
experience with the addition of an
indoor archeology lab in the basement
of Mahar Hall.
“The goal is to give students some
sense of how excavation works,” said
Dr. Steve Saraydar, associate professor
of anthropology. Unlike the outdoor
site, the new facility, in Room 2 of
Mahar Hall, is accessible year-round.
The indoor lab complements the
outdoor experimental archeology site
north of Mahar Hall that Saraydar
established five years ago, when he
revamped the teaching of archeology
at Oswego to incorporate lab and field
experience to an extent that was rare
at the undergraduate level.
The indoor and outdoor locations
where students actually unearth buried
objects are complemented by the kind
of computer and electronic tools that
professional archeologists use,
Saraydar said.
The latest acquisition is a total station, which is used for surveying a complete site and recording in three dimensions the location, down to the millimeter, of each object found as layers of
the site are excavated. 
Professor Stephen Saraydar holds a
piece of obsidian and explains how it
was used in the making of ancient
cutting tools.
OSWEGO
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Spring 2005
ESPN broadcaster sponsors press box
or Steve Levy ’87, the press box at old
Romney Field House was as much a
classroom to him as the studios in Lanigan
Hall. Now the ESPN SportsCenter anchor,
with the help of his employer, wants to enhance the experience for future students by
funding the press box in the new Campus
Center.
“I’ve always truly felt that Oswego is a
big, big part of the reason for any success I’ve
been able to achieve in my career and life,”
says Levy.
A life-long hockey fan, the young Levy
was impressed by the quality of Oswego’s
hockey program. “When I got to Oswego,
hockey was such a big deal, every game was
sold out. It was such a great atmosphere in
the field house,” he says.
He started covering hockey for the
Oswegonian, then for radio station WOCR, a
post so in demand he had to work his way up.
Soon he was calling games from the press box
in Romney and hosting a sports show —
“Sports Avenue”— on campus television station WTOP.
But the Romney press box, while it gave
a great vantage point to watch and call the
games, “was just an old wooden bench,” he
says.
Not so at SUNYAC rival Plattsburgh. “At
Plattsburgh it felt like the NHL to me,” says
Levy.“As a student I always looked forward to
going there.”
Now he wants to give Oswego students
the same opportunities to broadcast from a
first-class facility.
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The press box in the
Campus Center will give
student broadcasters a
professional experience.
8
Steve Levy ’87
“I want them to feel pride as they prepare
to broadcast and make it as professional an
environment as it can be, so when they graduate they have that experience to draw on,”
he says. “As I was a member of the visiting
school going into Plattsburgh, I hope visiting
schools’ broadcasters will look forward to our
press box, knowing their team will in all likelihood get dismantled going in to Oswego.
But they will have a nice place to broadcast
that double-digit loss.”
Levy says he is grateful that his employer,
ESPN/Disney, matched his personal donation to enable the $25,000 sponsorship of the
press box.
He urged fellow alumni to donate whatever they can. “If you feel Oswego had a part
in your success, as I do, then I think it’s in
everyone’s best interests to help.”
Of his press box sponsorship, Levy says,
“It’s something I feel good
about today and I’ll feel good
about visiting and cheering
Oswego State on to many,
many home victories, while
watching aspiring young
broadcasters get the feel of a
big league press box in the
Campus Center.” 
C A M P U S
CURRENTS
Proposal would maintain value
O
swego President Deborah F. Stanley has
reiterated her support for the proposed
SUNY Tuition Guarantee. “This proposal
responds to families’ expressed desire for a
way to predict what their college costs will be
over four years,” Stanley said.
“It provides flat, stable tuition for each
entering freshman for four years. Each freshman class would pay more than the class
before, but its own tuition would be frozen
for four years. This plan is the best I’ve seen
for serving the interests of families and their
students. They have told us they want a high
quality education at an affordable price and
a dependable price. This proposal has the
potential to answer their needs.”
Stanley spoke before the SUNY board of
trustees finance committee Jan. 5, explaining
how the 10-year-old Oswego Guarantee has
helped families of Oswego students plan to
meet college costs by freezing the cost of
room and board for each entering freshman
for four years. Room and board are the principal college costs that are controlled at the
campus level in SUNY.
Tuition, the largest piece of
the college cost pie, is determined
by the system trustees, the governor and the legislature. Historically, it has been frozen for several
years before jumping steeply. One
set of students ends up bearing
the full brunt of a pent-up price
increase instead of all students
sharing reasonable increases over
time, Stanley said.
“The proposed SUNY Tuition
Guarantee is an attempt to inject a
measure of rational planning in
tuition decisions,” Stanley said.She
SUNY Chancellor Robert King visited campus Feb. 16 and
pointed out that private colleges
discussed his proposed Tuition Guarantee with hundreds of
raise tuition every year based on students, faculty and staff, including these students in Lake
rational analysis, and said that Effect Café in Penfield Library.
adopting a similar rational priceand legislature. It would be covered for lowsetting method will help SUNY “gain in
income students by the state’s Tuition Assisstature, quality and stability” while
tance Program.
remaining “an incredible value.”
To read the entire story, click on
The proposed $600 increase in tuition
http://www.oswego.edu/news/news_story.
for next fall is a separate issue that remains to
html?id=479_0_2_0_C 
be negotiated among the trustees, governor
Catalyst inspires connections, reflections
THE CATALYST PROJECT, WHICH GOT
under way last spring, continues to make
progress towards its ultimate goal —
integrating information and reflection.
The project aims to help students
make connections between existing
knowledge and new knowledge from
their courses.
“The program is doing well, and we
are right on track,” said Dean of Arts and
Sciences Sara Varhus.
This semester, the focal point of the
project shifts from first-year students to
upperclassmen. Varhus said there will be
focus groups conducted in the spring
with students enrolled in the interdisciplinary Intellectual Issues courses and capstone experiences.
The focus groups will serve as a com-
parison group to the freshmen surveyed
during the first portion.
The Catalyst Project is currently in
the information-gathering stage. “This
past fall, we collected reflective writing
from all incoming freshmen involved with
the FirstChoice courses,” Varhus said. She
added that in these courses freshmen
learn how critical inquiry, debate, discussion and research lead to understanding.
Data is now being analyzed from the
pilot portion of this program, which took
place last year. Students were asked
questions such as: Describe a course in
which you made connections between
what you learned in one course and other
courses or academic experiences.
Oswego is one of 10 schools participating in the Integrative Learning Project.
9
The project is sponsored by a grant from
the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching and the
Association of American Colleges and
Universities. Spearheading the Catalyst
Project on campus are Varhus, Associate
Provost Rhonda Mandel and Dean of
Education Linda Rae Markert ’76.
The project is already starting to
pave the path for change. “We have
learned what types of assignments are
effective in bringing about integrative
learning. Next year we are planning to
implement a freshman project in the
FirstChoice courses. This will allow
students the opportunity to integrate
information at an early part of their
college experience,” Varhus said. 
— Catherine DeGenaro ’05
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
C A M P U S
CURRENTS
CARDINAL SPORTS IMAGING
Jolene Hathaway ’05 scored the gamewinning goal over New Paltz.
Women’s Soccer
I
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
Men’s Soccer
J
ohn Spuhler ’05 (Fulton) capped his career
as a Laker in fine fashion as he was named
Second Team All-SUNYAC and won the
prestigious Fred Holloway Award as the
Academic Player of the Year. It marked the
second straight year the senior reeled in the
academic honor and it was also the fourth
straight year he was honored by the conference for his play on the field. This season he
finished with five wins and three shutouts,
giving him 14 for his career.
Scott Brown ’06 (Fulton) was also recognized, as the midfielder garnered SUNYAC
Honorable Mention. Brown finished the year
with one goal and three assists.
Luis Fernandez ’05 (DeWitt) led the
Lakers in scoring this past season with four
goals and two assists, while D.J. Long ’06
(Fairport) dished out a team-leading four
assists.
The team just missed the conference
tournament with a 3-5-1 SUNYAC record,
while finishing 6-11-1 overall.
Emily Horsington ’05 led the team in service aces and digs.
Volleyball
H
t didn’t take long for Maureen Kasperek ’06
(Fulton) to enter her name into the
school’s record book as she became Oswego
State’s all-time leader in both goals and points
this past fall. The forward finished the year
with 14 goals and three assists for 31 points.
Kasperek, who has scored 58 goals in as many
games, moved past Missy Verdoliva ’99
(Oswego) as the all-time leading scorer with
128 points. The junior was also named First
Team All-State by the New York State
Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association, as
well as SUNY Athletic Conference Honorable Mention.
Morgan Vrydaghs ’08 (Campbell Hall)
was second on the team in scoring, chipping
in with two goals and team-best four assists.
Goalie Ashlee Distin ’08 (Fulton) collected six victories as a freshman, with four of
those wins coming via shutout. She finished
the year with 125 saves.
The Lakers finished their first season
under the direction of Coach Erin DeMarco
with a 6-10-1 record, while going 4-5-1 in
conference play.
SPORTS
ome court turned out to be a key for
the Lakers as they recorded three of
their six victories on their home floor. Emily
Horsington ’05 (Rochester) gave the team
valuable leadership in addition to being a
steady performer on the court. The senior
led the team in service aces with 39 and digs
with 239, while finishing second in kills with
190. Horsington was also selected to the
SUNYAC West Division Second Team.
Heidi Armstrong ’08 (Solvay) had a
strong first season for the Lakers as she
led the team with 276 kills, while Amanda
McManus ’08 (Solvay) directed the Oswego
State attack with 478 assists.
Shara Dowd ’07 (Hannibal) was again a
consistent performer as she collected 173
kills to go along with 145 digs and a teamhigh 88 total blocks.
Women’s Tennis
T
D.J. Long ’06 led the team in assists.
10
he Laker tennis team showed improvement this past season as two individuals boasted winning records with a third
finishing the year at .500. Jessica Bautista ’06
(Brentwood) compiled a record of 5-3 while
competing at sixth singles. Junali Dutta ’05
(Glenville) played in the toughest position
at first singles and had a successful season,
finishing with a record of 5-4. Newcomer
Bridget McCarthy ’08 (Syracuse) stepped
right in and contributed for Oswego State as
she finished the year with a record of 4-4.
C A M P U S
CURRENTS
The first doubles team of Dutta and
Michele Giolando ’08 (Nanuet) and the third
doubles team of Kim Hough ’07 (Oswego)
and Melinda Lee ’07 (Sauquoit) tied for the
team lead in double play as each team posted
three victories.
Russ Korn ’05 helped the Lakers finish in a
tie for second place at the Oswego State
Invitational.
Men’s Golf
Cross Country
O
including a game winner against Hamilton
College.
Megan Erlenback ’08 (Canastota) was
another young player to contribute, as the
forward netted two goals and set up another.
Two veterans were honored by the
SUNYAC as Allie Ross ’06 (Suffern) and
Kyrsten Perry ’06 (Hopewell Junction) were
both named second team. Ross is a midfielder and Perry is a defender.
Defender Kyrsten Perry ’06 was named to
the SUNYAC second team.
swego State’s Leann Donnelly ’05
(Waterloo) became the latest Laker to
earn her way into the SUNYAC Hall of Fame
as she finished fifth at the conference meet.
The senior completed the 6K course in 23:39.
She was also the top Oswego State finisher in
each of the team’s races in the fall and
earned All-SUNYAC and All-New York State
Collegiate Track Conference honors.
Weston Fellows ’06 (Morris) reeled in a
pair of honors as he mirrored Donnelly’s
accomplishments in earning All-SUNYAC
and
All-NYSCTC
recognition. Fellows
placed in the top 15 of
the conference meet.
John Clements ’05
(Saratoga Springs)
had a fine senior
season and was recognized as the team’s
most improved runner for the second
straight year.
Leann Donnelly ’05
is the latest Laker to
earn her way into the
SUNYAC Hall of Fame.
C
CROSS COUNTRY PHOTOS BY LYLE FULTON
onsistency was the key for the Laker
golfers during the fall campaign as the
team finished in the top five in each invitational in which they competed. Oswego
State then added a top 10 finish at the ECAC
Upstate Qualifier at Saratoga Spa State Park.
The Lakers tied for second at the seventh annual Oswego State Invitational held
at Oswego Country Club as the Lakers
finished with a team score of 309, just three
shots shy of the winning score. Ryan
Hawthorne ’07 (Baldwinsville) led the hosts
in their tournament, carding a 74, one shot
off the top individual score.
Field Hockey
F
aced with a tough schedule, a young
Oswego State team endured some
growing pains, but saw some glimpses of
things to come as a couple of players stepped
forward. Shari Przybyla ’07 (Whitesboro)
came through with a team high five goals,
Oswego State men start the Don Masterson 8K race at the 2004 Oswego State Invitational.
11
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
Club News
Alumni Club Contacts
NEW YORK CLUBS
Binghamton – Margaret Clancy Darling ’82, 607-748-5125 (H)
Buffalo – Larry Coon ’83, 716-852-1321 (O), 716-873-2695 (H)
Capital District – Tammy Secord Friend ’98, 518-226-0147 (H),
e-mail: tammymfriend@hotmail.com
Melissa Guzman Mazurak ’97, 518-339-4819 (cell),
e-mail: jeffandmelissamaz@earthlink.net
Mohawk Valley – Liz Fowler ’68, 315-337-9895 (H),
e-mail: efowler1@twcny.rr.com
New York City – To join the planning group, contact the
alumni office.
Oswego – Sylvia Gaines ’76, 315-342-2662 (H),
e-mail: sgaines@oswego.org
Rochester – Penny Koch Patterson ’95, 585-899-9716 (H),
e-mail: koch_penelope@yahoo.com
Syracuse – Kitty Sherlock Houghtaling ’87, 315-656-2457 (H),
e-mail: Kitty6of6@aol.com
Paul Susco ’70, 315-656-3180 (H)
Club Event Notices
Using E-mail
C
lub events are publicized through
the alumni magazine, on the
Oswego Alumni Web site, through
mailings as well as e-mail. If your
e-mail address has changed for any
reason or if you haven’t given us your
e-mail address yet, please update your
current information at http://oswegoalumni.oswego.edu/alumni/where.
html You may also notify our office by
completing and mailing us the “Tell
Us About Yourself ” form on page 47.
We thank you in advance for your help.
OTHER AREAS
Atlanta – Jeffrey Travis ’89, 770-926-7580 (H),
e-mail: jeffreytravis@hotmail.com
Boston – Volunteers needed, please contact
the alumni office.
North Carolina – Gary Applegate ’87, 704-658-0727 (H),
e-mail: gapplegate@sherpallc.com
Mark Kuljian ’91, 704-583-9370 (H),
e-mail: mkuljian@carolina.rr.com
Eric Setzer ’91, 919-786-4269 (H),
e-mail: esetzer@nc.rr.com
Northern New Jersey – Fran Lapinski ’72, MS ’74,
973-763-8788 (H), e-mail: cmhl3@att.net
Philadelphia – Jennifer Shropshire ’86, 215-842-1748 (O),
e-mail: jpshrop4@aol.com
South Carolina – Sonya Nordquist Altenbach ’91,
843-881-9503 (H), e-mail: sonyan@charleston.net
Karen Parker ’91, 843-819-2804 (cell),
e-mail: kparker98@yahoo.com
Washington, D.C. – Kim Brooke ’87, 703-845-0788 (H),
e-mail: kbrooke@nvcc.edu
Oswego Alumni Association, Inc.,
King Alumni Hall, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126
Phone: 315-312-2258
Fax: 15-312-5570
E-mail: alumni@oswego.edu
www.oswego.edu/alumni

Spring 2005
Boston
The alumni office is currently looking
for volunteers in the Boston area. If you
would be interested in coordinating alumni
activities, please contact Associate Alumni
Director Jeff Pratt ’94, M ’97 at jpratt@
oswego.edu or 315-312-2258.
Dr. Ban-An Khaw ’69 drives “Miss Daisy,” the specially equipped Volkswagen Beetle in the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AgeLab, at a special event hosted by AgeLab Director
Dr. Joseph Coughlin ’82 and Jackie Wilbur ’82.
Atlanta
The Atlanta Club is collaborating with
other SUNY alumni groups to expand networking possibilities and event offerings.
Alumni from 20 SUNY schools enjoyed the
fourth annual Networking Experience on
Friday, Feb. 4, at the Art Institute of Atlanta.
For the latest information about upcoming
events in the Atlanta area, check out the club’s
Web site at www.geocities.com/sunyalumni
ofatlanta or contact Jeffrey Travis ’89.
OSWEGO
Binghamton
Calling all alumni: We want to plan
some great events in the Binghamton area,
but we need your help in the form of ideas
and attendance. Please join us Friday, April 1,
for a pre-game gathering and to watch the
Binghamton Senators take on the Worcester
IceCats. What other ideas do you have?
Please contact Margaret Clancy Darling ’82
or the alumni office. We look forward to
seeing you at future alumni events in the
Binghamton area.
12
Buffalo
Upcoming events include a picnic for
alumni, incoming students and their families
in August as well the annual Bills game, plus
we are looking for other event ideas from
area alumni. Please contact Larry Coon ’83
or the alumni office.
Capital District (Albany)
2005 started in a very charitable way in
the Capital District. Area alumni gathered
March 5 to help with local Habitat for
Events
March 19 Board of Directors Meeting,
Oswego Alumni Association, Inc.,
Office of Alumni and Parent Relations,
315-312-2258
April 11 College Admissions Open House
Office of Admissions, 315-312-2250
May 13 Commencement Eve Dinner and
Torchlight Ceremony Office of Alumni
and Parent Relations, 315-312-2258
May 14 Commencement
June 4 Annual Business Meeting,
Oswego Alumni Association, Inc.
315-312-2258
June 9 – 12 Reunion 2005
315-312-2258
July 28 – 31 The City of Oswego’s
fantastic Harborfest!
On-campus housing available to
alumni, friends and family.
315-312-2258
August 1 Emeriti Luncheon
Office of University Development,
315-312-5558
September 9 16th Annual Oswego
State Fall Classic
Office of University Development,
315-312-3003
Humanity projects. Come and join in the
fun and community service May 7 when the
group will assist Habitat for Humanity again
— no special skills necessary, just a good
“Oswego attitude” to work hard and play
hard. Also join us in August for a picnic
to welcome incoming students and their
families into the “Oswego family.” If you
have any questions or ideas for future events,
contact Tammy Secord Friend ’98 and
Melissa Guzman Mazurak ’97.
New York City
Area alumni gathered March 23 for a
planning meeting and a Networking Social
at “No Idea,” owned by Chris Barry ’90 (located at 30 E. 20th St. between Park and
Broadway). If you were unable to attend the
meeting/event and would still like to help
with the NYC Alumni Club, please fill out
the survey at http://oswegoalumni.oswego.
edu/nyc/
North Carolina
A group of area alumni is trying get
activities going around the Charlotte area.
Please fill out the online survey at http://
oswegoalumni.oswego.edu/northcarolina/
and join us at the planning meeting/event in
May.
Rochester
Join area alumni at a variety of great
upcoming events. On April 7 alumni will
gather for a performance of the hit Broadway show “Chicago” at the Rochester Auditorium Theatre and a pre-show reception.
On April 30 alumni and friends will take a
winery tour around Keuka Lake. Other
events in the planning stage for summer/fall
include a Rochester Red Wings baseball
game and pre-game gathering in July, a picnic for alumni and incoming Oswego State
students and their families in August, a tour
and reception at George Eastman House
Sept. 1, and the annual outing with the Buffalo Club for a tailgate and Bills football
game in September or October. If you have
alumni event ideas for the Rochester area,
please contact Penny Koch Patterson ’95.
13
Robyn Vogel ’89 (left), director of corporate
partnership development at Camba, Inc., in
Brooklyn, discusses opportunities with current Oswego students at New York City
Alumni Career Connections in January.
South Carolina
Sonya Nordquist Altenbach ’91 and
Karen Parker ’91 are broadening the base of
the South Carolina alumni club by expanding invitations to all SUNY schools. On
Jan. 30, alumni from four SUNY schools
gathered at the annual Charleston Oyster
Festival. In the planning stage is a return to
Myrtle Beach in the fall. If you have event
ideas, please contact Karen or Sonya.
Syracuse/Oswego
In the planning stages is an upcoming
event in Syracuse with President Stanley.
Watch your mail and the alumni Web site for
details.
Washington, D.C.
Area alumni enjoyed a holiday social
Dec. 1 and ice skating Jan. 29. Upcoming
events for 2005 include a SUNY reception
April 5, a Cinco de Mayo event May 5, a Flag
Day social June 14, a picnic Aug. 13, the King
Street Krawl Sept. 24 and a holiday social
Dec. 6. If you have any questions about
future events, please contact Kim Brooke ’87.
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
Bravissimo!
By Michele Reed
It’s a far cry from a Hewitt
Union basement stage to
the grand opera halls of the
United States and Europe.
Yet Gerard Powers ’80 has
wowed listeners in both venues.
e wasn’t a music major at
Oswego. In fact, he was
best known on campus
for a regular gig playing
his guitar and singing
songs by the likes of Paul McCartney,
James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg at the
now-defunct Tavern in the basement of
Hewitt Union. Yet, Gerard Powers ’80 has
become an internationally acclaimed lyric
opera tenor.
This spring he is singing the roles of
Ruggero in “La Rondine” and Pinkerton in
“Madama Butterfly” at the New York City
Opera. This follows a successful 2003-04
season in which he performed the title role
in “Les Contes D’Hoffman” in Belgium and
Colorado, sang Rodolfo in “La Bohème” at
NYCO and the Royal Albert Hall in London
and sang Verdi’s “Messa da Requiem” and
Dvorak’s “Stabat Mater” in Carnegie Hall.
With boyish good looks and a pleasant,
self-effacing manner, the svelte Powers
(5' 111⁄2" and 170 pounds) is miles away
from the stereotype most people hold of an
opera singer: large, loud and very temperamental. “It really doesn’t cost anything in
life to be nice,” is his philosophy.
H
Powers as Cavaradossi in “Tosca”
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
14
Although he majored in what was then
called industrial arts education (now technology education), the Brooklyn-born
Powers has been active in music his whole
life. He began studying music at an early
age, participating in church choirs while
growing up in Port Jefferson Station.
He comes by his talent naturally. His
grandfather,William J. Powers II, had a musical background and passed on his love of
singing and performing to his son.
Gerard’s father, William J. Powers III,
studied voice in New York City, won many
singing contests, and sang on the radio
and at Rangers games in Madison Square
Garden.
“I remember my dad being a big influence with inspiring us to perform,” says
Powers. “Performing was something he
loved to do.” Family gatherings were musicfilled occasions, where people entertained
each other with singing songs, many passed
down through the generations.
The third of nine children, Gerard
took guitar lessons in elementary school
and by the time he was in high school
played in a jazz ensemble and took part in
some concerts.
It is his first night in Paris and the grisettes are hitting on the green kid from the country, Ruggero, played by Gerard Powers ’80 in
“La Rondine” at New York City Opera in 2004.
“I had all these different musical influences that I loved,” he recalls. “I remember
the people across the street would play
opera and I wasn’t interested in it, but I
would listen to it.”
The organist and singer at the church
where he grew up in the late ’60s and early
’70s were two sopranos who influenced him
strongly.“I still see them when I go home to
our parish. They are wonderful people and
my first really fine musical examples of anything considered to be classical singing.”
College ‘buds’ remain friends
ome, church and even college were
places where he found musical inspiration. “In college all my friends had very
different musical tastes, which really does
open your mind in a lot of ways.”
Among those good friends are his
“buds from the fourth floor of Cayuga.”
They include people he still keeps in close
touch with, despite his international travel:
Dr. Bill O’Brien ’81, former S.A. President
Kevin Hyland ’81 and retired fireman
Kevin Duncan ’80, who was at Ground
H
Zero the day the towers came down, as well
as Powers’ freshman roommate Jim Callan.
“I often think of the Oswego days and
that whole period of growing and learning,”
he says. “Oswego was a very important
learning time for me. I gained some friends,
lost some friends.”
Of his act in Hewitt Union, he says,“It’s
just something which came naturally to me,
being able to imitate voices, mimicking different singers. I loved to play the guitar and
listen to records and figure out how they
were doing it.”
It didn’t go unnoticed on campus. “My
friends in college said I always made them
listen to music differently,” says Gerry, as he
was known at Oswego.
Despite his love of music, he ended up
in industrial arts education, since his parents hoped he’d take up something where
he could make a living.
Ironically, teaching jobs downstate
were scarce when he graduated. “I think
there were two on Long Island,” he laughs.
So Powers went to New York City and
began a musical collaboration with Callan.
15
After writing songs and playing in New
York clubs, he decided he needed something more lucrative, so he decided to give
jingles a try.
He got an audio engineering degree at
the Institute of Audio Research and bought
recording equipment for a home studio.
He wrote and recorded a jingle for
AT&T using the influence of Gregorian
chant he had heard as an altar boy. Other
jingles sold a popular children’s toy and
dog food.
He figured it would help in his jingle
work if he learned to sight sing, an exercise
where singers pick up a piece of music
they’ve never seen or heard before and sing
it, given only the starting pitch.
His teacher for this, the late Don West,
quickly pegged him as a future opera singer.
So he started to give him arias to sight sing.
Although he loved singing and had a
flair for languages — he studied French in
high school and at Oswego — Powers
wasn’t completely sold on the idea at first.
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
Blame it on Puccini
hen one day West brought in one of
his other students to sing a duet with
Powers. “She was a very cute girl with very
tight jeans and nice perfume, and well, it
was really Puccini’s fault,” Powers says by
way of explanation. West had them sing the
first act duet from “La Bohème.”
“Puccini’s music is so enveloping and
beautiful that it pretty much takes you over
emotionally and you can’t fight it off,”
explains Powers.
As he stood there, next to the pretty
soprano, singing the emotional aria by
Puccini, he thought, “Wow! I could do this.
I could definitely do this.”
Powers sang with small regional companies in the New York area, did a few tours
of the Northeast and even sang a small role
at Carnegie Hall, while continuing to learn
his craft in opera workshops and dramatic
T
The Powers family: Gerard and Kelly (left),
Molly (center) and Christine (right).
Gerard Powers ’80 as Ruggero meets and falls in love with Magda in “La Rondine.”
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
16
coaching classes. He made his debut in 1999
with New York City Opera as Rodolfo in
“La Bohème.”
A different road
owers entered opera from a very different route than most singers. The majority enter conservatory right after high school,
having already decided on a career in singing.
For his part, Powers worked his way
through Oswego, with two or three jobs to
pay for tuition and books, including a stint
in the photographic lab in Hewitt Union on
campus.After Oswego, he wore many musical hats. He sang Christmas carols on the
“Late Show with David Letterman” with a
group of performers. He sang at his local
parish, Our Lady of Good Counsel on New
York City’s Upper East Side; gave music
lessons; taught voice and guitar; and worked
in the restaurant business.
P
From the Critics…
“The Brooklyn-born tenor Gerard Powers
brought his boyish looks, and his rich, ardent
voice to the role of Ruggero.”
“The cast was headed by the dashing tenor Gerard Powers as
Giosta, who sang with ardent sound and lyricism.”
As Giosta in Zandonai’s “I Cavalieri Di Ekebu”
Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, Nov. 23, 2000
As Ruggero in “La Rondine”
New York Times, Sept. 21, 2004
“Federico had the beautiful voice of a promising and handsome
young tenor, Gerard Powers, from whom, to our Italian ear, you
could not even find a single missed word in his perfect Italian
pronunciation of the text. A pleasant surprise, which testifies to
the attention Powers gives to his studies and his meticulous
preparation which allows him, in performance, to give an
interpretation of the highest level.”
“…Central City Opera has assembled a
uniformly strong cast, anchored by Gerard
Powers, a veteran tenor making his debut
with the company. He has the leading-man
looks, stage presence and ideal voice for
the title role.”
Gerard Powers ’80
As Hoffmann in
Offenbach’s “Les Contes D’Hoffmann”
Denver Post, June 29, 2004
As Federico in Cilea’s “L’Arlesiana”
Gianna Venturini, America Oggi, Nov. 1999
“Gerard Powers offered a complete vocal and dramatic
performance as Gaston, Viscount of Bearn, highlighted by
both leading-man good looks and first class French diction.”
“The tenor Gerard Powers gives to Hoffmann a very beautiful
voice with radiant high notes.”
As Hoffmann in “Les Contes D’Hoffmann”
De Standaard, Nov. 4, 2003
As Gaston in Verdi’s “Jérusalem”
Donald Westwood, Opera News, Nov. 1997
“And there was a wonderfully expressive performance of the title
role by the young American tenor Gerard Powers. His timbre
sounds French, he sings words as much as he does notes, and
never fields more tone than necessary, never shouts. ‘Clair de
lune’ and the death scene went especially well. He looked barely
into his 20s, which added greatly to the work’s poignancy.”
As Werther in Massenet’s “Werther”
Rodney Milnes, Opera, May 2003
One of those gigs netted him more than
a few dollars, it won him a wife.While working as choir director at his local church, “a
beautiful French girl”asked to join the choir.
He took one look at her and heard her beautiful accent and thought,“She is so in.”After
a year of friendship, Powers was “just bubbling over and had to declare my love for
her.” In about 15 minutes they had shared
their entire lives and their plans for the
future, which fit in just fine with Powers’
experience as an opera singer. “In opera,
there’s only so much time. So the romantic
leads have to fall in love pretty fast. It takes
about five minutes,” he laughs.
This love, born in a shared experience
and declared in a rush of words, has thrived
through a dozen years of marriage, despite
the rigors of an international opera singer’s
travel schedule — Gerard spent seven
months of 2004 on the road — and photos
of him in character, kissing the female lead
on the cover of Playbill.
Powers enjoys the travel, and the opportunity it provides him to learn about
other cultures through their languages and
food. But he regrets the time he must be
away from Christine and their two daughters, Kelly, 10, and Molly, 8. Still, Christine
and the girls join him when work and
school schedules permit, and the youngsters have learned much about other countries and the opera in the process.
Despite the travel that takes him away
from his beloved family and the rigors of a
career that requires study, practice and a
strict physical regimen to keep up his voice
and stamina, Powers is passionate about his
chosen field.
“I am very grateful that I can do what I
do and I have come a long way and I intend
to keep going,” he says.
17
The poet Werther has just learned that
the woman with whom he has fallen in
love is engaged, in the opera “Werther”
by Massenet at the De Vlaamse Opera
in Antwerp in 2002.
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
Opera 101
For those inspired to attend the opera, internationally
acclaimed lyric tenor Gerard Powers ’80 offers these tips:
 Do you like music? That’s what opera is: Music, poetry,
drama, art and stagecraft. It is this fantastic compilation
of art. So if you like any one of these things, you’re probably going to have a really good time.
 Start with the ABCs. That’s “Aida,” “La Bohème” and
“Carmen.” The best way to go to the opera is to see
something that is a well-known piece and these three are
the best known, although you don’t necessarily have to
start with one of these.
 Opera is very user-friendly these days, with super titles
giving the translation of foreign text, so you don’t have to
speak the language in which the opera is written.
 That said, a really good idea is to learn a word or two in
the language of the opera that you plan to see. When
you hear the aria being sung, it would help you to understand the meaning. In
the “La Bohème” tenor aria he says, “Che gelida manina”: “What a frozen little
hand you have.” The big climactic moment in that aria is “la speranza.” That’s
“hope.” And of course, there’s “amor.” It only takes about 15 seconds of your
day to learn a word or two.
 Listen to a famous aria from that opera to become familiar with the music.
 Read the story line or the synopsis.
 And look at your tickets to see what time the opera starts, because sometimes
in the middle of the week people think it’s 8 o’clock and it’s really 7:30.
 If you don’t like the opera you’re seeing: During the intermission,
go have a drink.
For the more advanced opera-goer:
 If you want to be more advanced, you can read the libretto.
Many are available online.
 If you want to be really advanced, you can start listening to entire recordings
— or different recordings of the same opera with different conductors
and casts.
 When you start to be an opera buff, read the play it was based on or the story
the play was based on. These are fantastic things to research and part of what
I have to do every day. I think that this is a really fun art form but at this level,
it takes more work!
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
18
Powers sings the role of Rodolfo in
“La Bohème”
He considers it a mission “to transport
someone from their stress, their misery,
their suffering for a few minutes during an
evening in the theater.”
Artists and audiences share basic
human experiences, so when the audience
sees someone suffering on stage or at the
peak of their joy, they can relate to that on a
spiritual level.
“You’re not really paying for a ticket to
the latest production of an opera, it is more
on the psychological level — relating your
personal experiences to those of the characters represented on the stage,” he says.
“If you’ve transported that person who
needed to be taken away from their suffering for a few hours, that’s what it’s all
about.” 
For more about Gerard Powers ’80,
visit www.gerardpowers.com
DAVID ZAITZ PHOTOGRAPHY
The Road to
Wisteria Lane:
Estabrook Already a
Showbiz Vet When
She Became a
‘Housewife’
By Michele Reed
When she walks down
the street or shops in a
grocery store, people ask
Christine Estabrook ’73,
“Don’t I know you?” It’s no
wonder – the busy actress
has been in dozens of
plays, movies and television
shows since graduating
from Oswego. But her
recognition factor has
spiked recently because
of her role as the nosy
neighbor, Mrs. Huber,
in the hit TV series
“Desperate Housewives.”
19
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
I
t’s just her luck, she says with an
exaggerated sigh. After working
steadily in stage, screen and television for three decades, when
Christine Estabrook ’73 lands a
role in a hit TV series, they kill her character
off in the very first season.
“Who would’ve thought it would be
the series of the year? And then, they kill
me!” she sputters, a laugh bubbling just
beneath the surface.
There’s always a laugh just beneath the
surface, an outrageous comment, a glint in
the eye.
That outrageous personality, that spirited delivery is part of what made viewers
of ABC’s Golden-Globe-winning series,
“Desperate Housewives,” love Estabrook’s
character so much. Chat rooms and fan
sites were filled with speculation as to
whether Mrs. Huber was really dead or if
the show would bring her back.
“I hope they have me back a couple of
times,” she said. “They’re clever writers and
they’ll find a way to get me back in.” By
press time, she had been seen in flashbacks
as police searched for her killer.
She’s also seen on the streets of the San
Fernando Valley, where she lives with husband Vic Polizos, shopping in grocery
stores or cheering on her stepdaughter at a
soccer game. And people always stop her.
It doesn’t bother Estabrook. It’s pretty
typical, she admits.
“When I see people on TV, I think I
know them and they know me. Like they
can see me back,” she says.“People treat me
with that kind of familiarity.”
Sometimes they are persistent. “After
the third episode, where I blackmailed
Susan, people would follow me through the
store wanting to talk to me about Mrs.
Huber and the other characters,” she says.
There she’d be, in an old sweatshirt
and no makeup. “I think I’ve disappointed
them. They think my life is glamorous.
They think I don’t take out the garbage and
pick up the dog poop.”There’s that mischievous laugh again.
“It still surprises me that people recognize me, because it’s the same thing that I’ve
done for so many years,” Estabrook says,
referring to her acting life.
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
Custom-made part
“Desperate Housewives” was a bit
different, though. “So many people watch
it. It’s been a hoot,” Estabrook says. “I don’t
think anybody saw this coming.”
And if Estabrook seems perfect for the
role of Mrs. Huber, it’s because it was
custom-made for her.
“Ten years ago I did a show called ‘The
Crew’ with Marc Cherry, who is executive
producer of this show. I saw him two years
ago in a deli and he said, ‘I’m writing a part
for you,’” she recalls. “No one ever writes a
part just for you.”
“When I see
people on TV,
I think I know them
and they know me.
Like they can see
me back. People
treat me
with that kind
of familiarity.”
A couple of years would go by before
she was actually called for an audition.
Could she be there at 8:30 a.m. the next
day? “It’s like the Olympics. You get one
chance,” she says of network auditions for a
pilot. This time she won the gold.
As for working with “Desperate Housewives” stars Nicolette Sheridan, Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman and
Marcia Cross,“The actresses on this show are
fun,” she says. “As Mrs. Huber I try to crack
people up. I get that little look in my eye.”
The fun is needed, she says, because the
cast works such long hours. “They pay you
to learn lines and they pay you to wait,” is
how she describes shooting television
shows. “So you have to keep your energy
and make things fun, and fun for the crew,
like making little jokes and keeping things
light. Otherwise it’s really tedious.”
20
She stresses that the big stars she works
with are just regular people. Felicity Huffman is always reading; Teri Hatcher is
always baking, bringing brownies and other
sweets to the makeup room.
“We sit in the makeup chair and they
talk about their families and what they’re
going to do on the weekend and their kids’
soccer games…You just go to work and act
with each other. By the time you’re our age
there aren’t a lot of arguments because
everybody’s cooperative.”
Always on stage
The role as Mrs. Huber may be the
most visible recently, but Estabrook has
never stopped working as an actress since
stepping on stage at Waterman Theater.
At Oswego she studied under Kathleen
Pendergast, Dave Burr (a visiting acting
teacher who was “very avante-garde”) and
Rosemary Nesbitt.
“These were the first creative people
I met, people who were dedicated to the
theater and loved the theater. They were
really important in the formation of what I
could dream of.”
Estabrook was in quite a few plays at
Oswego, including “Electra”and “Firebugs,”
and played Kitty Duval in “The Time of
Your Life.”
She sang with StateSingers. “I loved
Mr. Soluri. He was great.”
For the young woman from East Aurora,
near Buffalo, Oswego was a nurturing, nonintimidating place. “I thought it was a wonderful place for me — except for the snow
and the ropes so you didn’t blow into the
lake,” says Estabrook, who insists she used
those ropes at least twice getting around from
her rooms at Seneca and Cayuga.
“Oswego was a natural step up for me
as far as meeting people and being in the
theater and trying to learn my craft,” she
says. “It gave me enough confidence in my
instrument to brave Yale. And then I went
to New York City. It was unheard of. Who
was I thinking I was?”
From Oswego she went to Yale Drama
School, where Robert Brustein was dean
and she studied with the likes of Meryl
Streep, with whom she was in the Yale
Caberet.
ABC PHOTO ARCHIVES
Actress
on the Go
Christine Estabrook ’73 has worked
regularly on stage, screen and television since graduating from Oswego.
FILM
Spiderman 2
Catch That Kid
Grind
Desperate Measures
Usual Suspects
Presumed Innocent
Sea of Love
Second Sight
Almost You
Override
TELEVISION
Desperate Housewives
Seventh Heaven
Strong Medicine
Crossing Jordan
My Wonderful Life
Six Feet Under
The Guardian
The Nikki Cox Show
Road Hogs
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
Untitled Adele Givens
The Crew
Murder Live
One Special Victory
Hometown
The Wall
T H E AT E R
Broadway
The Sisters Rosensweig (Pfeni)
The Heidi Chronicles (Susan)
I’m Not Rappaport (Clara)
The Inspector General (Marya)
The Cherry Orchard (Dunyasha)
Off Broadway
What A Man Weighs
The Widow’s Blind Date
For Dear Life
The Boys Next Door
North Shore Fish (Florence) – Drama Desk Nom.
Blue Widow (Boo)
Baby With The Bathwater (Helen)
Pastorale (Rachel) – Obie Award
Regional
Christine Estabrook ’73 (left) and Nicolette Sheridan in a scene from “Desperate Housewives”
After Yale, she spent 17 years in New
York, working steadily in theater. She participated in the Eugene O’Neill Playwrights
Conference for four years and won an Obie
Award for “Pastorale,” and a Drama Desk
nomination for “North Shore Fish.” One of
her favorite roles on stage she says, was as
the developmentally disabled girl, Sheila, in
“The Boys Next Door,” for which she won
a Drama Desk Award and the Clarence
Derwent Award from Actor’s Equity in 1988.
One reason she enjoyed the role so
much was the research she did to get into
character, spending time with developmen-
21
Pigs And Bugs
Importance Of Being Earnest
American Repertory Theater
Isn’t It Romantic (Janie)
Major Barbara (Major Barbara)
Hamlet (Ophelia)
The Seagull (Arkadina)
Hamlet (Gertrude)
Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference – 4 Years
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
DAVID ZAITZ PHOTOGRAPHY
tally disabled people. There was another
reason, too. “It had such an effect on the
audience,” she says, especially a scene of the
two young people dancing at the end of the
first act.
She enjoyed roles like Helen Hobart in
“Once in a Lifetime” and Arkadina in “The
Seagull,” but didn’t much enjoy playing
Gertrude and Ophelia in “Hamlet.”
After her years in New York, Estabrook
decided to leave for the opposite coast and
try her hand at films and television.“I actually got bored with myself. I knew what I
was going to do on stage. I wanted to be in
entirely different circumstances, really
shake things up.”
That led to work in television and
movies. Her filmography is long and varied,
stretching from roles as a student editor in
1979’s “The Bell Jar” to the editor’s wife in
2004’s “Spiderman 2.”
Television viewers have seen her face in
series as varied as “The X-Files,” “Crossing
Jordan,” “Touched by an Angel” and “Six
Feet Under.”
Last fall, she was seen as Lynn Cahill in
“NYPD Blue.”“I think I was the last actress
in LA that hadn’t done one. It’s been on for
12 years,” she laughs.
Of course, she says, if the medium is
television, her favorite role is Mrs. Huber.
“I love Mrs. Huber because she turns
on a dime,”she says.“She can be really sweet
to someone and then say something mean.
There’s no filtering system between what
she thinks and what she says. That’s what I
like about her.
“It’s fun to be the bad guy — fun to
have no scruples.”
‘Kooky’ characters
Mrs. Huber is like a lot of roles
Estabrook has played over the years — kind
of kooky, off-beat: think Mary Todd Lincoln in the UPN comedy,“The Secret Diary
of Desmond Pfeiffer.”
“I’ve always been a character actress
and always went out for not the ingénue
but her kooky friends,” she says. “It’s a lot
more fun, because you’re not playing yourself, you can put on somebody else, like a
pair of pants.”
It was a natural career choice for the
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
child who went around pointing at people,
until her mother had to admonish her
to stop.
“I learned not to do that but I looked at
them.Sometimes I stare at people and they get
freaked out.[I watch] the way they eat or walk.
Sometimes I like to go to a bus station or train
station and just watch people. But you can’t
look at people when you’re recognized.”
22
Since “Desperate Housewives,” Estabrook’s ability to travel incognito has been
hampered, but she’s not discouraged. “Because of the age we live in, people forget
pretty quickly,” she says.“I think I’ll have my
anonymous days again, when I can go
around staring at people.”
The fans of Mrs. Huber hope that day
won’t come any time soon. 
BY MICHELE REED
Celebrating Oswego Connections with Richard Jay-Alexander
He’s served as executive producer for some of Broadway’s greatest hits and been
interviewed for publications all over the world, but when Richard Jay-Alexander —
Dick Fernandez ’74 — sat down to talk with Oswego it wasn’t the glamour and
glitz he wanted to recall, it was the “ties that bind.”
H
e’s the man behind the musicals the theater-going world
remembers with awe —
“The Phantom of the
Opera,” “Les Miserables,”
“Miss Saigon.” His everyday
life is peopled with stars the
rest of us only read about in
magazines. His cell phone jangles with
calls from Bette, Barbra and Bernadette
(yes, that would be Midler, Streisand and
Peters, for whom he’s directed tours or
produced albums).
But when Richard Jay-Alexander does
drop names, the list is just as likely to include Oswego connections — classmates
who shared his passion for the arts, fellow
alumni he’s met during three decades in the
theatre world or a young graduate he’s trying to help get a foothold in the Big Apple.
This winter he visited Oswego as part
of the first Tyler Hall Alumni Symposium.
With film, TV and stage actress Robin Curtis ’78 and Broadway sound designer Brian
Ronan ’84, he regaled students with stories
of life in the theatre and offered some very
practical advice about how to get ahead.
Down the hall, art students were listening to video game character artist Dan
Bernard ’97, high school ceramics teacher
Amy Gutter Bernard ’98, sculptor Joe
Chirchirillo ’75 and art professor Mary
Pierce ’94, while music majors got real world
advice from recording engineer Joe Lessels
’04, music professor Dr. David Belles ’92
and freelance accompanist Bryan Rurey.
It was important to come back, said
Jay-Alexander, since for him the Oswego
years held so much value, and he hopes
they will for current students.
“You start to become the person you
were meant to become,” he says of the col-
23
lege years. “On top of that, you meet other
people who burn with the same kind of
passion you do.”
He grew up in a small town near Syracuse. At Oswego he expanded his horizons
by meeting people of different ethnicities,
experiencing their religions and learning
about different holidays.
What’s more, in high school no one
shared his interest in musicals. “When you
get to college, you really get to soar because
you meet people who really care about
what you care about,” he says.
Back at Oswego this winter, laughing
with Curtis and theatre department chair
Mark Cole ’73 as they toured a campus full
of familiar sights, he says,“We share a common denominator of years.”
Jay-Alexander looks forward to chance
meetings with fellow Oswego graduates in
the same line of work. “I’ll be in Key West
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
JIM RUSSELL ’83
JIM RUSSELL ’83
Richard Jay-Alexander ’74 (second from right) with students in the Tyler Hall costume
shop, from left, Kate Dolan ’06, Steven Screws ’06 and Alaina Maldonado ’07.
Sharing in that bond are new alumni,
like Aaron Kicak ’03, who grew up in
Richard’s hometown of Solvay. When
Aaron made the leap to the Big Apple,
Richard agreed to meet with him and help
him plan for a career in theatre.
“This guy is taking that brave bold step.
He is coming to New York to pursue a career,”Jay-Alexander says.“I know what goes
with that — ridicule, worry on the parents’
part. As he’s getting settled he will call or
e-mail me with questions.”And for his part,
Richard is happy to help, because he knows
what it was like to come to New York with
dreams to be on Broadway and not know a
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
BRIAN VANDERWILT
Helping new grad
TODD KAPLAN
and be in the hottest piano bar in town. I
run into Bob Nesbitt ’73 who I directed in
‘The Fantasticks’ in the black box theatre in
Tyler. All of a sudden we’re at the microphone, singing a duet from that show.”
He recalls Leslee Emerson Ross, who
played the female lead in “Applause” when
they both performed it on the Waterman
stage. She now works with famed costume
designer Bob Mackie.
Christine Estabrook ’73, (see story,
page 19) directed him in his first play on
campus, “The Stronger.” They starred together in “The Time of Your Life,” Richard
as Harry the Hoofer and Christine as Kitty
Duval.
All these Oswego alumni, he says, have
“a common bond you can’t take away.”
…and fellow alumn
i at the Tyler Hall
Alumni Symposium
in February: from
left, Jay-Alexande
r, Robin Curtis ’78
Mark Cole ’73 an
,
d Brian Ronan ’8
4.
r
Parker, Bette Midle
…and Sarah Jessica
ni
To
r
he
ograp
and legendary chore
backstage, at The
(Yo, Mickey!) Basil,
Meadowlands.
soul. “I put myself in his shoes and said,
‘God, Richard, if you actually had someone
to help you then…’” The thought trails off.
Later that day, his velvet Gucci jacket
slung over the back of a chair, the sleeves of
his hoodie pushed up to the elbows, leaning
forward with that intense look in his eyes,
Richard would attempt to share some of
that help with the theatre majors at Oswego.
“It’s hard work — It’s not all red carpet,” he tells them. “It doesn’t matter where
you go to school. It’s what’s inside you, what
kind of drive you have.”
He advises them to take advantage of
things available on campus – voice lessons,
piano lessons – all the things that cost so
much out in the real world. He reminds
them of the healthiness of audition and
genuine competition, and urges them to be
open to opportunities. “Recognize a door
when it opens.”
24
…and his cast of “Great Expectations”
in L.A.
starring Cloris Leachman as Miss Havis
ham.
And he informs them of the value of
the friendships they will make on campus.
“Those relationships don’t change…
When you see each other years later, it’s a
big hug fest.”
Oswego Connections
It’s a familiar theme for him, one he
expounds with passion. He recalls giving
an edge to actors with “Oswego” on their
resumes, like Craig Schulman ’79, whom he
cast as Jean ValJean (“one of the best”), Dave
Jordan ’79, who played Javert until his death
in 1999, and Oswego native Jean FitzGibbons Sabatini ’76, who played Fantine, all in
“Les Miz.” On tour with Bette Midler out in
the Midwest, a woman came up to him and
said “Hi, you’re Dick Fernandez, you were
my RA in Seneca!”When he got the job with
Midler, he invited a close friend from Os-
BRUCE GILKAS
TODD KAPLAN
h pop
r ’74 (right) with Britis
Richard Jay-Alexande
video.
sic
mu
a
r) on the set of
star Rick Guard (cente
wego, Barbara Becconsall Butler ’74, and
Professor Emeritus Jim “Doc” Soluri to the
opening at Madison Square Garden.
“Not that I think about it on a daily
basis, but when something monumental
happens, you think about somebody from
school to share it with, because those were
the years we discovered [Midler],” he says.
“I only went three years (he graduated early
after earning college credit for summer productions at Southern Illinois University),
but they were a potent three years.
“When I was here we all wanted to be in
theatre. We went to New York on weekends
and saw plays. Tours used to come here
through PPB: ‘Grease,’‘Godspell.’”
He remembers how his dorm room
was ‘show biz central.’ “If there was an
awards show on, everyone knew I’d be in
my room,” he says. They’d all pile in, too.
Watching the stars pick up awards,
“Who knew I’d grow up to be friends with
those people,” he muses.
“I’m still a student,”Jay-Alexander says.
“Even working with Bette Midler. When
you’re in the presence of people with such
tremendous gifts and knowledge, you become a student. It’s fascinating.”
Like directing Amy Irving at Vassar this
summer in “A Safe Harbor for Elizabeth
Bishop.”“We came back from Vassar so satisfied and fulfilled” by the experience of
working with interns from all around the
country.“These kids clearly wanted to work
in the theatre. It was a joy. I’d love to do it
again sometime.”
That sharing with the younger generation is a responsibility Richard takes seriously. Rather than accept pay for his master
…and Patti LaBe
lle at Bette Midl
er’s
“Hulaween” fund
-raiser in New Yo
rk.
“It’s hard work —
It’s not all red carpet,.
It doesn’t matter where you go to
school. It’s what’s inside you,
what kind of drive you have.”
class gigs, he donates all the money to charity, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, of
which he is a board member. This gives him
the independence he needs to be truthful
and blunt when telling would-be thespians
about what to expect. “This way there’s no
rules.You’re not held hostage for the knowledge you’re sharing.”
A dedication to education comes naturally for Jay-Alexander. His father, Frank
Fernandez, now retired, was chair of the
business administration department at
LeMoyne College and a practicing CPA.
“As an educator he didn’t know what
to do with me, but he did recognize my
passion,”says Jay-Alexander. His father gave
him “the best piece of advice ever”when the
young man had only been in New York a
short time. He was offered the role of Jesus
in the new international production of
“Godspell.” He’d travel all over the world
and make $1,000 a week, a huge sum in the
1970s. His father asked simply, “What did
you come to New York to do?” The answer,
Richard knew, was: “To be on Broadway.”
He turned down the “Godspell” role and
25
llen
…and Sir Ian McKe
Fights AIDS event.
/Equity
at a Broadway Cares
went on waiting tables, selling kids’ shoes,
working in a bookstore. Eventually Richard
landed a role in “Zoot Suit” at the Winter
Garden. He took his parents to the theatre
in a limo and to dinner at Sardi’s.
“From my mom, Dulce, I got my twisted sense of humor,” says Richard. His
Cuban-born mother is also his biggest fan.
“When I played Toby in ‘The Medium’ at
Oswego Opera Theatre, I was the mute.And
my mother sat there: ‘When is he going to
sing? When is he going to sing?’ Then I died
and she said,‘I guess he’s not going to sing.’”
Of course he went on to sing another
day, and to live his dream, playing in the
first New York cast of “Amadeus,” spending
over a decade as associate director of “Les
Miserables” and managing the national
touring casts of several hit musicals.
“All my dreams have come true,” he
says. “The joy of my career is that I have
worked with people I grew up admiring.”
He remembers his high school drama
coach handing him a record of “Dames at
Sea” with Bernadette Peters, and buying
Barbra Streisand’s “Funny Girl” from the
record club. He and his Oswego friends
traveled to Syracuse to see Bette Midler at
Loew’s Theatre on her first tour. Who
would know he’d eventually work with all
three women and have such success with
Midler’s 2004-05 tour that it was extended
by 40 more cities?
And that young man who bought
records and dreamed of stardom started
making those dreams come true at Oswego.
“I became the person I am today because of
those years and that’s the most important
thing.” 
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
O CTOGENARIAN A LUMNA R ELISHES C HALLENGES
By Michele Reed
Farm wife, great-grandmother, non-trad student, teacher,
minister and now, author. These are all hats worn by one
remarkable lady: Reverend Doctor Grandma, aka the Rev.
E. Catherine Salisbury ’63, MSED ’73.
S
Catherine at her graduation from Colgate
Rochester Divinity School. Salisbury earned
her Doctor of Ministry in 2001.
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
he’s not your typical Granny,
not by a long shot. You might
be forgiven for thinking so, as
you step into the tidy apartment of the Rev. E. Catherine
Salisbury ’63, MSED ’73 at
Oswego’s Springside at Seneca Hill. It’s her
quiet voice with just a touch of laughter
behind it, the halo of soft, white curls, the
twinkle in the kindly eyes. Or maybe it’s the
family pictures on walls, tables, even the
fridge; handmade pillows, latch-hook rugs
and afghans, lovingly made by her daughters; or the garden of perfectly tended potted plants along the windowsill.
But even with seven children, 12 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and one
great-great, this is no sit-by-the-fire, knitting, rocking-chair jockey. This is a woman
of action, words and, above all, faith.
She’s a woman who, at 88, still actively
pursues her ministry, loves to travel and just
published her second book, contemplating
a third.
Her story begins at the height of the
Great Depression. Graduating from high
school in 1933, this avid reader wanted
nothing more than to go to college. But
times were tough. So Catherine Frary chose
a more typical route for the time, marrying
26
The original farmhouse
Charles Salisbury and embarking on life as
a farm wife and mother.
After working for a while on the Frary
family spread, the couple eventually set out
on their own, rebuilding a dilapidated farm
house in Pulaski without running water or
electricity into a comfortable home for
their seven children and a thriving dairy
farm. When they would eventually sell the
farm, as the 1970s economy made family
farms unprofitable, the herd would number
55 head and the farm equipment would fill
a page-long auctioneers’ ad in the local
paper. But we jump ahead.
When her youngest started first grade,
Salisbury decided to return to her dream of
going to college, and enrolled at Oswego
State in 1959. She commuted daily, driving
the 25 miles from Pulaski, and “had a wonderful time” preparing for a new career as a
social studies teacher.
She calls it a “scary and a fulfilling experience,” writing in her memoir, “What a
thrill to be able to sit and hear some great
professors day after day giving you a new
and intriguing perspective on the life of our
world — past, present and future!”
One of those professors who made a
lasting impression on Salisbury was Melvina Svec. The beloved geography professor
was impressed with her diligent student, as
well. Salisbury still has the handwritten
note Svec sent her upon graduation in
1963, lauding her “really remarkable
record” and congratulating her on graduating cum laude.
“She taught me geography and one of
the things I always loved doing — travel,”
recalls Salisbury, who would eventually tour
most of South America and Africa, visit the
Middle East twice and Europe several times,
as well as seeing many states in the U.S.
She also fondly remembers Dr. Charles
Snyder and Dr. Robert Salisbury.
Catherine became a teacher in the
Central Square junior high for three years
before taking a job in nearby Sandy Creek,
teaching sixth grade. The four-mile drive to
work was an easier commute and in the
northern Oswego County winters, a bit
more reassuring. “If I got stuck, I knew
everyone along the way,”chuckles Salisbury.
She loved teaching sixth grade, bringing cuttings of her houseplants in and starting a little garden club, doing role-play in
history classes so students didn’t have to
just memorize facts and dates, and making
maps in geography class — “Here comes
Ms. Svec again,” she says, remembering her
teacher’s love of cartography.
After her husband died in 1978, Salisbury retired from teaching and entered the
seminary.
Bishop Violet Fisher and Catherine Salisbury
She had worked in her church and
taught Sunday school for years. When the
minister asked if she ever thought about
entering the seminary, she told him, “Of
course not.” She had never seen a woman
Catherine Salisbury ’63, MSED ’73
signs copies of her second book at River’s
End Bookstore in Oswego.
27
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
Salisbury’s books are in the library at Springside.
preacher, she recalls, and at 63, felt she was
too old to begin a new career.“But miracles
always happen. One thing after another led
to my going into the ministry.”
She graduated from Drew Theological
Seminary in Madison, N.J., in 1982 and
embarked on her first role as pastor, to
churches in Philadelphia and Evans Mills,
in northern New York state. Later postings
would be to churches in Mannsville, Lorraine,Antwerp and Spragueville.As interim
pastor for churches in Champion and
Carthage, she had to drive 60 miles to conduct services at both on Sundays.
Although the United Methodist
Church requires ministers to formally retire
at age 70, leaving Salisbury only three years
after her ordination as an elder to officially
serve, she could be appointed to serve as
long as the bishop chose. She has not been
idle since. Her current ministry is with the
Minetto United Methodist Church, where
the Rev. Rick Sivers ’70 is pastor.
She practices her ministry closer to
home as well, leading a Sunday afternoon
service for Springside residents and a weekly
Bible study group. Despite the fact that she
will soon enter her 10th decade, she walks
the 1 1/2 mile road around her apartment
complex, ending up at a nearby nursing
home to visit the elderly residents there.And
she never fails to stop and greet a neighbor
with a kindly word, ready smile or hug.
Her interest in the spiritual life of older
people would lead to her doctoral disserta-
OSWEGO
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Spring 2005
tion, “A New Spiritual Vision of Aging.”
In 2001, at the age of 85, she earned her
Doctor of Ministry degree from Colgate
Rochester Divinity School. She could add
the title “Doctor” to her favorite epithet,
becoming “Rev. Doctor Grandma.”
But she still had one more goal, one
more title to add to her long string of
accomplishments — author.
Growing up on a remote farm, without any sisters or close neighbors for company, Catherine describes herself as a
“lonesome kid,” who found her adventures
in books. A good student and salutatorian
of her high school class, she never outgrew
her love of reading.
“Even when the kids were growing up
and I was working on the farm, I never
stopped reading, long and far into the
night when I should have been sleeping,”
she admits.
Her early memories revolve around
books. Her country school library was the
size of just one of her living room’s bookcases and she read every book in it. At
home, Catherine was never far from reading material. She remembers having to do
housework, although she would rather have
been working in the barn with her brothers.
“My job was to clean the living room on
Saturday. I always started with the library
table with its nice magazines,” she recalls.
“I dusted them — inside and out!”
Even now, her small apartment boasts
several bookcases filled with the lives of
28
Biblical women, historical novels and travelogues. “If I can’t sleep, I get up and read,”
she says with a grin.
In addition to her master’s thesis at
Oswego on education in the African nation
of Zaire and her doctoral dissertation,
Catherine set a goal to write her own life
story for family members. Her first version,
written 14 years after her husband’s passing, included a letter updating him on her
activities since his death as well as letters
to various family members on topics like
early farm life, her travels and her years at
Oswego.
Hidden Promises: Unwrapping the Gifts,
her first published book, came out in 2003.
With chapter titles like “Promises and Miracles,” “Life’s Changing Adventures” and
“More of God’s Surprises,” it chronicles her
life focusing on her themes of adventure
and faith. Extended Families: A New Life
Beyond 86, her second book, is the story of
how she came to write the first one.
She’s eager to write a third, but says she
is waiting for God to tell her what the topic
should be.
Rather than slowing down, Salisbury
finds all the activity invigorating. “Challenges are energizing” is her philosophy.
It’s a philosophy that relies on having a
good attitude, a deep faith in God and realization of the miracles that surround us
everyday. “In my sermon on Sunday, I was
telling people that miracles are all around,
you just have to look for them,” she says.
“That’s what attitude does, isn’t it?
Catherine Salisbury has accomplished
a lot in her life, but she takes little credit for
it herself. “Anything I’ve done is God’s
doing, not mine,” she says. “Without my
spiritual life none of this would’ve happened.”
She also credits Oswego State. “It all
goes together — studying social studies,
learning about people — that’s what ministry is, too, learning about people and their
relationship to God.”
Not many 88-year-olds would be restless, having accomplished much as a wife,
mother, teacher and minister, but then, that’s
Salisbury’s way. “I’ve been a rebel all my life,
got myself into a lot of trouble,” she says.“But
nobody has more fun than me!” 
Class Notes
C L A S S
N O T E S
Call us at: 315/312-2258
E-mail us at: alumni@oswego.edu
Fax us at: 315/312-5570
Visit our Web site at:
www.oswego.edu/alumni
1930 75th
JUNE 9–12
1935 70th
JUNE
9–12
J
1940 65th
JUNE 9–12
1945 60th
JUNE 9–12
1950 55th
JUNE 9–12
1955 50th
JUNE 9–12
Joe Bena ’64 was inducted into the
National Wrestling Hall of Fame Sept. 19.
A plaque honoring him for his “Lifetime
Service to Wrestling” will be displayed in
the Stillwater, Okla., Hall of Fame. He was
recognized for his years of commitment to
young athletes.
Bena, who began coaching in 1966,
retired as technology teacher at Niskayuna
High School in 2001 and as varsity
wrestling coach in 2003. He then accepted
a position as head coach at Duanesburg
High School, winning a league championship
his first year there.
He is the winningest high school
wrestling coach in the history of New York’s
Section 2, the second winningest in New York state history
and the winningest active coach in the state. By the end of
the 2004 season, he had compiled a record of 445-89-4.
1960 45th
JUNE 9–12
29
OSWEGO
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Spring 2005
C L A S S
N O T E S
Alumni Board Welcomes Three
1965 40th
JUNE 9–12
The Oswego Alumni Association Board welcomed three new members at its fall 2004 meeting. They will all serve three-year terms.
Wendy
McCammon ’92
William
Schreiner ’92
Kay Benedict
Sgarlata ’65
Wendy McCammon ’92 is vice president for finance at Fox
Networks. She has participated in New York City Alumni Career
Connections, the Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) program, and
the School of Business NYC alumni planning group. She resides
in New York City.
William Schreiner ’92 is an attorney with Shaw Pittman
LLP in McLean, Va. He is a former Student Association officer,
a participant in the Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) program
as part of the Comm Alumni panel, the Washington, D.C., alumni
club and a Washington, D.C., campaign planning group. He
resides in Alexandria, Va.
Kay Benedict Sgarlata ’65 is the retired manager of
exhibits for the New York State Fair. She is a former member
and president of the Alumni Board and former alumni awards
committee chair. She resides in Syracuse.
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
30
C L A S S
N O T E S
Coming soon to a
computer near you . . .
OsweGoConnect
online
alumni
community


’
’74, ’75, ’76
30th Cluster Reunion

Connect with old
friends and make
new ones
Search for or
list jobs
Update your
address
Post your news
JUNE 9–12
… and much, much more
It’s absolutely free and exclusive to Oswego
alumni.Watch for more information this spring!
N E W S M A K E R
Eric W. Overström ’74 has been named
the new head of the biology and biotechnology department at Worcester
Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts.
He previously held academic positions
at Tufts University in the Schools of
Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and
Dental Medicine. Overström, a Fulbright
Scholar, is a developmental biologist
who brings his research interests in
Dr. Eric W.
cell/molecular biology of mammalian
Overström ’74
eggs and embryos, somatic cell cloning
and assisted reproductive technologies to WPI. He landed his
first patent in April 1999 and has three more pending.
Overström has fostered successful research collaborations
with key biotechnology companies at the local, national and
international levels, and received various awards including Tufts
University’s President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement
and the Lauro F. Cavazos Award for Teaching Excellence. After
Oswego, he earned a master’s degree in reproductive physiology
and a doctorate in reproductive physiology from the University
of Massachusetts at Amherst. He was a postdoctoral fellow
in the department of physiology and biophysics at Harvard
Medical School. He and his wife, Lori, reside in Grafton, Mass.,
with their children, Mallory and Anders.
31
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Spring 2005
C L A S S
N O T E S
Sanford Honored for
Work with Volunteers
Don Sanford ’74 is the 2004
winner of the Dorothy Kemps
Achievement Award in Volunteer
Management, a national award
for public broadcasters. The
award is presented annually
to the public broadcasting volunteer coordinator who is best
able to create a bridge between
station staff and its essential
volunteers. Sanford received
the award in September at the
Don Sanford ’74
Public Broadcasting System
Development Conference in Orlando, Fla. There are currently 349
public broadcasters nationwide.
During his 27-year career at Wisconsin Public Television, Don
has been studio supervisor, lighting director, production manager and now volunteer manager. Don has had a significant impact
on improving the WPT volunteer corps’ effectiveness, magnitude
and excitement.
Don brought in a steady stream of volunteers to move old,
unorganized paper records into the computer, correct addresses
and clean up old files. In addition, he has also tapped into the
volunteer spirit of local high schools by making sure they are
well represented as volunteers in the WPT pledge drives. Don
has connected his fellow employees with several star volunteers
who have taken volunteer internships for the summer.
“In Don’s two years as volunteer manager, hours are up,
productivity is up, and happiness is way up,” according to the
station. Don has dramatically increased the staff participation in
WPT’s events and activities. He has pressed management to set
an example and succeeded.
Don says, “I’ve met so many wonderful people who are passionate about Wisconsin Public Television during the past three
years. It’s positively energizing.”
OSWEGO
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Spring 2005
Canale’s Restaurant, the local eatery beloved by generations of
Oswego graduates, celebrated its 50th anniversary with two initiatives, according to owner Nick Canale Sr. ’73 (right). Canale’s began
selling frozen entrees from its popular menu, including lasagna, chicken Parmesan, and spaghetti and meatballs. In January, the familyowned business opened a satellite restaurant in Liverpool. Shown at
the new eatery are Nick and two of his children, Liverpool manager
Brian Canale and Alissa Canale ’99, who works at the new restaurant. The new place seats 30, has a wine and beer bar, frozen entrees
for purchase, and a take-out and delivery service. The restaurant sells
its sauce and other products at www.canalesrestaurant.com.
32
C L A S S
N O T E S
Bob Gasperetti ’79 in his Vermont workshop
Artistry in Wood
FROM PARK HALL TO A RURAL WORKSHOP at Mount Tabor, Vt.,
Bob Gasperetti ’79 took his love of wood and design, and
crafted a successful career as a furniture maker. Bob is a master at turning hardwoods — often a customer’s beloved fallen
tree — into Shaker and Arts and Crafts inspired furniture. The
passion for woodworking began early for Bob. He grew up on
Long Island, where his father would unwind on weekends by
teaching him in a basement workshop.
At Oswego, he earned his degree in industrial arts and
design, learning from and being inspired by professors like
Don Feck, Carl Salvagin and Bob’s mentor, John Belt, who
helped to develop his design sense. “I give tremendous credit
to John Belt… for where I am right now and what I do.”
What he does is nothing short of art. “It’s not just putting
things together, it is composing them,” says Bob, who left a job
teaching high school woodworking and drafting in 1983 to pursue his dream full time. “The use of the grain of the wood and
the color of the wood and the contrast in wood all add tremendously to the overall design.” He speaks lovingly of his finished
pieces, especially the tactile effect of his specialized, handrubbed oil finishes.
Bob is in the process of building a new workshop, which
will feature a drive-through basement where customers can
pick out their own wood from stockpiles drying there. That’s
another place his Oswego education comes in handy, laying out
and designing the shop, working with and understanding the
various contractors.
And, although he misses breakfasts at Wade’s and has come
back to Oswego for the fall Technology Education Conferences in
the past, Bob has found a way of life he cherishes. “I was looking
for a relatively simple, slow-paced life in Vermont, and it’s what I
have found and continue to develop,” he says. “It’s great to love
what you do — to look forward to going to work. It’s not a job,
it’s a lifestyle.”
33
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Spring 2005
C L A S S
N O T E S
Alumni Bookshelf
This column celebrates the publishing success of Oswego alumni authors, illustrators and recording
artists. Please keep us informed about new books and CDs by requesting that your publisher or
distributor send a copy for the Oswego Alumni Bookshelf at King Alumni Hall.
Pipe Dreams: One Teacher’s
Journey by A.R. Magalette
McClure, former Campus
School faculty member, is a
nonfiction memoir of an eightyear journey teaching emotionally
disturbed children. Written in
the first person by their teacher,
this unique account is fascinating, humorous and conveys the
inner workings of public school.
These kids’ lives will engross you
and touch your heart. A.R.
Magaletta McClure, 2002.
It’s Elemental 2 — More
Lessons that Engage by Don
Dupont and Brian Hiller ’82 is
intended for elementary music
specialists and is a collection of
18 fully processed lessons that
integrate the elements of the
Orff-Schulwerk approach
through singing, speech, movement and instrument playing.
Each lesson in the book focuses
on a particular musical concept.
The lessons begin with a brief
activity that engages the learner
then continue with a step-bystep process designed to lead
the students toward the desired
outcome. Each lesson culminates
in a performance where the students demonstrate understanding of the concept. Extension
activities that further enhance
the learning are available for
each lesson. Memphis Musicraft
Publications, 2004.
1980 25th
N E W S M A K E R
JUNE 9–12
Keith Tyo ’79 was named executive assistant to the president
of SUNY Plattsburgh in August. Prior to this position, Tyo
began his career at Plattsburgh when he was appointed
director of public relations in 1995.
As the executive assistant, Tyo will be responsible for
governmental relations and special projects for the president.
He will serve on the college’s response team and the Office of
Public Relations will continue to report to him.
“I have enjoyed serving as director of public relations for
Plattsburgh State and working with devoted staff. However,
after nearly nine years, I am ready for a new challenge,” Tyo
said. “I’m excited to begin a new phase of my career as executive assistant, and I look forward to working closely with
President [John] Ettling, the executive council and the campus
community to move the college forward.”
OSWEGO
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Spring 2005
The Tenement Saga: The Lower
East Side and Early Jewish
American Writers by Sanford
Sternlicht ’53 is a story about
the author’s own childhood in a
“Jewish Homeland” also known
as the Lower East Side of New
York City. Sternlicht puts his
story within the context of 14
early 20th-century East Side
writers and discusses the role
of women, the Yiddish Theater,
secular values, the struggle
between generations, street
crime, labor unions and the
importance of newspapers and
periodicals. Sternlicht documents
the decline of Yiddish culture as
these immigrants blended into
“The Golden Land.” Terrace
Books: University of Wisconsin
Press, 2004.
34
Racing to Help Kids
One alumna and her husband
have returned to their roots in
the North Country to raise
more than $200,000 for sick
children. Nannette Turcotte
Zipadelli ’92 and her husband,
Greg, pit crew chief for 2002
NASCAR Winston Cup
Champion Tony Stewart, sponsor a yearly snowmobile race
in Old Forge to raise money for
children’s charities as well as
Nannette Turcotte Zipadelli ’92
individual families in need.
and husband Greg
The third annual Zippy’s
Crusade For Kids Jan. 21 and
22 at Old Forge and Inlet attracted NASCAR celebrities and
their fans, who donated to help Kyle Petty’s Victory Junction
Gang Camp and over the years other charities, including the
Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Fayetteville Field of
Hope, Hospice and Children’s Miracle Network.
Nan and Greg have fond memories of the North Country.
After graduating from Oswego, Nan taught in the Town of
Webb School District and Greg would go snowmobiling in the
area on weekends. So it was natural to plan their fundraising
event as a snowmobile ride in the Adirondacks.
“Meeting the kids we are helping has been the most rewarding part of running our foundation,” said Nan. “I also continue to
be amazed at how much people will give of themselves to make
this happen. Our support system is incredible.”
Getting Down to Business
Fred Festa ’81 visited Oswego in October and met with students
in business and chemistry. He gave a presentation on “Leadership
and What It Means” to three business classes and had this to say
about their demeanor and preparation: “I was more than
impressed with the depth of their questions. They have enough
moxie and confidence” to make it in the business world. The
newly named CEO of multinational specialty chemical company
W. R. Grace — he takes over the reins May 31 — Festa remembered his own days as a business student in Sheldon Hall and said,
“It’s great to see the energy on campus with the renewal under
way. Rich Hall is incredible.” Festa is married to MaryLynn
Barbero Festa ’82.
Fred Festa ’81 (right) talks with Andre Makutima ’05, a finance
management major (left). Looking on from left are Kevin Mahaney,
vice president for development and alumni affairs, and School of
Business Dean Lanny Karns.
35
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
C L A S S
N O T E S
Half of the young professionals honored as “40 under 40” by the Oswego County Business Magazine in
December were alumni, faculty or staff of SUNY Oswego. They gathered with Oswego President Deborah
F. Stanley (front row, center) after the first-ever awards breakfast for an Oswego “family portrait.” They
are, front row from left, Jennifer Kinzie-Middleton ’01; Jodi Mullen ’92, assistant professor counseling
and psychological services; Kevin Sutherland ’05; Stanley; Tara FitzGibbons ’94; Susan Carey ’88; and
George Allen ’89; second row from left, Maureen Curtin, assistant professor of English and director of
women’s studies; Tim Nekritz, associate director of public affairs; Matt Seubert ’97, listener support coordinator at WRVO; Dawn Fernandez ’89; and Linda Roll ’92; and third row from left, William Barclay, former College Council member; Michael Paestella, assistant director of campus life; Matthew Chetney ’95;
Elliot Boyce ’94; Robert Marshall Auler, assistant professor of music; Jim Dowd ’89; Matt Dawson ’00
and Patrick Devendorf ’90. Absent from the photo is Kevin Slimmer ’94.
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
36
C L A S S
N O T E S
Oswego
Matters
From the
executive
director
I
t’s winter in Oswego as
I write this and exciting
changes are afoot on our
beautiful lakeside campus!
“Walls” are beginning to go up
for our new Campus Center —
right in the center of campus!
The new center will house
space for student clubs and
organizations, as well as a
hockey rink/Convocation Center
for concerts, graduations and
more. Plans are to open the new building in the fall of 2006.
We have re-established a “student-alumni” organization to create
a greater awareness among current students of an alumni network.
This group will plan activities and events for the senior class (including a senior class “gift” each year), as well as help coordinate other
student programs.
The gift from the Class of 2005, combined with the other three
classes that were on campus on 9/11/2001, will be a memorial
garden to the twelve members of our Alumni Family who perished
on 9/11. This meditation spot, located alongside Glimmerglass Lagoon,
will include trees, a bench and flowers that will bloom in September
along with a plaque memorializing the alumni.
Later this spring we will launch a members-only “Online Alumni
Community” where alumni will register for the password-protected site
and be able to reconnect and network with former classmates, search
for and post job openings, submit a class note, have an individualized
personalized “profile” and many other interactive options. The Web
community will also offer the Alumni Office the opportunity to send
very targeted e-mail communications, offer an alumni e-newsletter and
more! Look for registration information coming to you soon to “sign on”!
Riggs Hall is temporarily closed to undergo a transformation for
our First Year residential students, just as Johnson Hall did a few
years ago. Swetman and Poucher Halls will close shortly to undergo
renovation as a “student services” center and an academic complex
for the humanities. And our beloved Sheldon Hall is undergoing
renovations to the unfinished west wing of the building.
All of these changes and improvements make it an exciting time
to work at Oswego and for you to return to campus to check on your
— I’m sure you’ll be pleased at what you’ll see! Mark your calendars
for Reunion Weekend 2005 (June 10-12) if yours is a reunion year or
just come back on your own and tour the campus, including a stop at
King Alumni Hall!
37
OSWEGO
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Spring 2005
C L A S S
N O T E S
Goldberg Named ‘School Counselor of Year’
Steven Goldberg ’94, M
’98 was one of only two
youth counselors out of
13,000 statewide recently honored for their service by the New York
State School Counselor
Association. Goldberg,
school counselor at the
Hillside Children’s Center,
Varick Campus, received
the 2004 Counselor of
the Year award Nov. 13.
He is responsible for
initiating a comprehensive school counseling
Steven Goldberg
program at the Varick
’94, M ’98
campus, where he recently
celebrated his second anniversary.
Goldberg was nominated for his “selfless
dedication to building new futures for kids
whose pasts were destroyed by abuse, neglect,
family traumas and personal crises.”
He is passionate about his work. “For me
it’s on a more personal level,” Goldberg says.
“Helping a kid come up with solutions to problems. Helping kids overcome huge obstacles,
emotional and physical obstacles that really
impact their lives.”
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
It’s a passion that was born at Oswego, he
relates, and it came from the way his professors
connected with him. “They had a passion for
what they were teaching and it made me have
a passion for what I was learning and to get
out there and practice it,” he says.
He remembers professors like David
Sargent; Barbara Gerber; Jean Casey, whose
lectures on getting involved with professional
organizations spurred his drive to join NYSSCA;
and Betsy Waterman, who reached out to him
when he was seriously ill as a student and along
with Casey, visited him in the hospital. David
King of the history department also made a
special connection with Goldberg. “They helped
me though some of the most trying times of my
life,” he says. “They were there, not just as professors, but as family.”
Oswego changed his life in other ways, too.
It’s where he met his wife, Heather Jones
Goldberg ’94, M ’97 and many of the friends
with whom he still keeps in touch, like his Hart
Hall roommate Anthony Perillo ’94 and Richard
Bush ’94, now a professor of technology education at SUNY Oswego.
“I wouldn’t be the professional I am if it
wasn’t for the education I received at Oswego,”
Goldberg says.
38
C L A S S
N O T E S
N E W S M A K E R
When Sandra Tindale Carl ’93 was growing up, her father was a PGA master professional. So it was only natural that she
would set her sights on a career in the golf
industry. Now, she is sharing her love of
the sport with a whole new generation.
An LPGA pro, Carl is president of The
Parks Golf Courses, executive director of
The First Tee of Rochester and founder of
The Parks Junior Golf Foundation. She was
Sandra Tindale
honored this fall by Rochester Business
Carl ’93
Journal as one of its “40 under 40.”
Sandra and her family manage the Monroe County golf
courses in a unique public-private partnership. As president,
Sandra is in charge of a budget of just under $2 million and has
250 employees. One of the “coolest” perks of her job, she says,
is that it allows her to bring her three boys — James, 4; Jack,
2; and T.J., 8 months — to work with her.
In 1998, she founded The Parks Junior Golf Foundation to
teach the game of golf to kids who wouldn’t ordinarily have the
chance to learn. About 500 kids per summer have been able to
try their hand at the sport. This winter, The Parks became a
First Tee site, part of a national program focusing on life skills
— like honesty and discipline — that children can learn through
golf. “I have a great team that works with me and this year will
probably go up to about 700 kids,” says Sandra.
Rochester has one of the highest ratios of golf courses per
capita in the country and last year the Democrat and Chronicle
designated Sandra’s efforts as one of the “100 reasons
Rochester is so hot for golf.”
A marketing major at Oswego, Sandra was influenced by
Dr. James Molinari ’75, who in addition to his role on the
business school faculty worked with the men’s golf team on
campus. “I used a lot of what he taught me, putting my contract together for the county,” she says.
As the sport continues to grow in popularity, especially
among women and young people, Sandra should be busy for
quite some time.
Patrice Clayton ’94 has opened the Harlem Tea Room to share her
love of teas with fellow New Yorkers. The intimate tea room at 1839A
Madison Ave. (118th Street) has a neighborhood ambiance with vintage-style furnishings. Patrice serves a variety of teas, of course,
along with soup, sandwiches and pastries. Saturday evening entertainment includes jazz and piano music.
1995 10th
JUNE 9–12
39
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
C L A S S
N O T E S
N E W S M A K E R
Andrew Miano ’95 was honored as one
of the “35 Under 35” by The Hollywood
Reporter in its Nov. 9 “Next Generation”
edition. He was recognized in the film
category.
A partner in the film production
company Depth of Field, Miano was executive producer of “In Good Company”
released by Universal Dec. 29 and starring Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace and
Andrew Miano ’95
Scarlett Johansson. He also executive
produced “Golden Compass” at New Line.
His other projects include Universal’s “Silent Night,” Fox 2000’s
“Army Geek” and Bullseye’s “My Mother’s Boyfriend.”
His first job in Hollywood was in the mailroom at the
William Morris Agency in New York. He left WMA to found
Depth of Field with Paul and Chris Weitz.
A theatre major at Oswego, Miano told The Hollywood
Reporter his biggest lesson learned was: “Treat people well, and
they will work harder for you and with you. Yelling and screaming doesn’t result in a better product.”
Newton Paul ’97, M’99 (right)
has worked in supply chain management for Wyeth since August
2000. During a business trip, he
had the opportunity to talk with
Earvin “Magic” Johnson (left)
about entrepreneurship, health
care for all and developing
organizations to empower
African-American men throughout the United States and
beyond. Newton is also the
co-founder and president of
Paul Brothers Enterprises, Inc.,
which will focus on edutainment
(education and entertainment)
to help increase awareness of
diverse cultures and to provide
consultation to business and academic organizations.
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
40
C L A S S
N O T E S
’99, ’00, ’01
5th Cluster Reunion
JUNE 9–12
It was a “presidential summit” at the Holiday Toast in Sheldon Hall
this year. Having a friendly visit were four holders of the top office:
from left, Tim Barnhart ’02, Oswego State President Deborah F.
Stanley, Kevin Sutherland ’05 and Saleem Cheeks ’01. Sutherland
is the outgoing Student Association president, and Barnhart and
Cheeks held the same office when they were undergraduates.
41
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
C L A S S
N O T E S
G R A D U A T E
O F
T H E
L A S T
D E C A D E
In Singapore, Yip Covers Tsunami
Melanie Yip ’02, a producer and presenter with
Radio Singapore International, found herself covering
the story of the century when a tsunami hit South
Asia Dec. 26.
Q. Tell us about covering the tsunami.
A. First of all, the tsunami news came unexpectedly.
Melanie Yip ’02
No one was expecting an earthquake of such a scale
to occur in Asia, and the impact of the tsunami waves.
It was heart-wrenching, watching the images on television. I wanted to know more, and we needed to put
out some news stories on a daily basis. But it was difficult getting through the communication lines, most
of which had been disrupted in the countries affected,
like Phuket (Thailand), Sri Lanka, Aceh (Indonesia).
I did one phone interview with an American gentleman who had an advertising company in Phuket, and
his office was located in Patong Beach, the area which
was directly hit by the tsunamis. He described the situation one day after the tsunamis hit. Patong Beach
sounded like a war zone: full of traffic, debris, etc.
Q. Where were you when the tsunami hit?
A. I was in Singapore when it hit. It was a normal
Boxing Day Sunday for my family and I. But what was
sad for me was, I had visited Phuket for the first time
in May 2004. . . I think what makes me sad is the
number of people who’d died in the quake devastation.
All of them had been doing their daily chores, or just
getting on with their daily lives, and then, the waves
took everything away. It kind of reminded me of 9/11.
I arrived in New York City in late August 2001. I
remembered visiting the World Trade Center then
and 9/11 happened shortly after.
Q. How did you end up at Radio Singapore?
A. After graduating from Oswego in December 2002,
I traveled a bit within the US before going back to
Singapore. I didn’t really know where to start looking
for a job. The job market was really bad then, because
of the prolonged economic downturn after 9/11. Less
than one week after I returned, the Iraq war started,
then SARS. . . I saw an ad in the local Singapore
papers some months later looking for a radio producer. I didn’t have the experience, but decided to try my
luck. A rather tedious selection process, voice auditions (I had a strong American accent then and was
asked to tone down), current affairs tests and final
interview.
Q. What are your duties at RSI?
A. I am a producer and presenter. Basically, I write
several news stories on a weekly basis. For news, we
need to discuss the day’s top news stories with the
editors, decide on an angle to cover, find an analyst
and interview the person (usually via the phone). I
also produce several programs like “Business Ideas”
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
42
and another that I used to produce focused on young
people and the issues they are concerned with. I’ve
just taken on a new program called “Perspective,”
that deals with socio-political issues around the region
(South East Asia) and globally.
Q. You are from Singapore originally. What led you to
study at Oswego?
A. I wanted to pursue a degree in communications.
I was in the polytechnic at that time, third and final
year, waiting to graduate with a diploma in tourism
management. I also wanted to study abroad, so I
consulted an advisor in the polytechnic who then
introduced me to Mr. Gerry Oliver [of Oswego’s Office
of International Education]. Gerry was extremely
helpful and patient (I had so many questions to ask
him), and he helped me in ensuring my applications
reached the department safely.
Before Oswego, I had never traveled to the US.
I’d traveled a lot around South East Asia though.
Never knew where Oswego was till I arrived. But I
liked the place. It’s like the old charm you find in
Boston or Washington, D.C. (two of my fav cities on
the U.S. East Coast).
Q. Any influences, mentors at Oswego?
A. Mr. Gerry Oliver and Ms. Jo Ann Capron of the
Office of International Education — They are god-sent.
I’m eternally grateful to the both of them for making
me feel so welcomed to the school community, and for
helping confused international students like me. Jo Ann
also taught me how to drive. . . I remember practicing
in the parking lot beside Swetman.
Dr. Hua-Hsin Wan of communication studies, who
has since left Oswego — She was very encouraging,
and was able to offer constructive advice when grading my research papers.
Professor Nola Heidlebaugh of communication
studies — I’m not good at speech rhetoric (sorry,
prof H!) but she made me develop the passion in
speech communication, and to be comfortable with
public speaking.
Dr. Zoltan Bedy — my advisor in the comm
department. He was a good and patient advisor,
and offered his life experiences when we discussed
graduate school.
Q. Things you miss about Oswego?
A. Snow, the loads of Chinese restaurants, TOPS
Supermarket (gosh, I love that place, and still have
their discount card), Wal-Mart and J.C. Penney’s.
Besides that, I miss the rustic charm of the county.
Oswego was a conducive environment to study, and
to have the school beside Lake Ontario was an added
bonus.
C L A S S
N O T E S
Write home . . . to Oswego
Deadlines for Class Notes
Materials for our Class Notes
section, including the Wedding
Album, Alumni Bookshelf and
In Memoriam, will appear in
Oswego alumni magazine
according to the following
schedule:
43
Material received by
Appears in
June 5
Oct. 5
Feb. 5
Fall/Winter
Spring
Summer
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
Album
W
E
D
D
I
N
G
]
Jaime Nagy McCarty ’00 and Timothy McCarty were married Aug. 20, 2004 in
Warwick. Oswego alumni present at the wedding were: (from left) Artie Matz ’01,
Brian Collins ’01, Kathy Lewis ’98, Jeremy Mikels ’02, Jill Hutchins ’00, Mike
Hartigan ’00, Leris Graham ’99. Kirsten Bauroth ’00, Cory Fitzgerald ’01, the
bridegroom, the bride, Rachel Roman ’00, Kristin Bannon ’01, Emily Smith ’99,
Chantel Martin ’99, Lindsay Roundpoint ’01 and Lindsey Molusky ’00.
Jolene Gillian Ballard ’99 married Brian Paul Matthews at St. Bartholomew’s
Church July 31, 2004, and had their reception at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in
Westchester. Oswego alumni attending the wedding were: (from left) Carrie Feinberg
’99 (SDT), Gabby Washburn ’99, Stephanie Sussman ’00 (SDT), Christine Roberts ’99
(AEPhi), Jim Roberts ’99 (Rugby), Jen Lauro ’99 (SDT), the bride (SDT), the bridegroom, Kylee Weinrauch ’99 (SDT), Dara Herschkowitz ’99 (SDT), Chrissy Catalino
’00 (SDT), Lyjhia Wilton ’99 (SigEp), Shannon Tiernay ’99 (AEPhi) and Jillian Wilton
’99 (SDT). Jolene and Brian both work in New York City at ABC Sports, where Brian
recently won an Emmy.
Rosemarie Grasso
Nichols ’99 married Matt
Nichols July 11, 2004.
Oswego alumni in attendance were: (back row,
from left) Jerusha DunningWirth ’99, Tracy Davis ’02,
Dan Chutha ’99, Beth
Navarra ’99, Robin
McAleese ’93, M’95, (front
row, from left) the bridegroom, the bride and
Danielle West-Chutha ’00.
Absent from photo is Nicole
Ditoro-Nolan ’98. Rosemarie
is a fourth-grade teacher in
the Averill Park Central
School District. The couple
lives in Guilderland.
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
David Meirowitch ’00 and Allysa Kutner ’00 were married Aug. 1, 2004.
Oswego alumni included, front row, from left, Mike Rhome ’00 and date, Matt
Silverman ’00 and date, Joseph Storch ’02, Jennifer Longley ’03; back row
from left, Lisa Lindenthaler ’98, Jason Richeda ’98, Andy Wittman ’00 and
date, Eleanor Rasulo ’98, Chad Meyers ’98, the bridegroom, the bride, Jason
Selss ’00 and date, and Jennifer Salmon ’00.
Amy Anderson-Malorgio ’97 and Joseph Malorgio were married Aug. 14,
2004, at the Albany Country Club in Voorheesville. Oswego alumni in attendance were: (front row, from left) Ann Panzica ’99 Kristian LoRusso ’96; (middle
row, from left) Jennifer Gildea-Volpicelli ’97 (maid of honor), Jessica Cavolina ’98,
Edward Lupo ’97, the bridegroom, the bride, Gina Salvi-Krajeski ’98, Joshua
Kowalski ’98, Brian Leto ’96, (back row) Kim Marr-Rayton ’98 and Sabrina
Asch ’98. Also at the wedding but absent from photo was Brian Kleinschmidt
’96. Both the bride and bridegroom work for the New York State Police and
reside in Rhinebeck.
44
Tricia Kelly Henry ’97 and Eddie
Henry were married in April 2004.
Oswego alumni in attendance were:
Meg Zurell ’97, Krissy O’Donnell ’97,
Jenny Blase ’97, Colleen Feehan ’97,
Pat Kelliher ’97, Gary Lubliner ’87,
and Bobby Kelly ’94. Tricia is a second-grade teacher and her husband
is a New York City fireman. The couple moved into their new home in
Long Beach shortly after the wedding. Tricia says hello to all of her
friends from Oswego.
Amy Fulton ’96 and Jeffrey Eades ’96 were married Aug. 23, 2003. Oswego alumni in attendence were: (back row,
from left) Jennifer Lang McKenna ’96, Melissa Mauro Hineman ’96, Lisa Viscusi ’96, Marc Hineman ’96, John McCusker ’96,
Chris Phillips ’98, Nevin Eisenberg ’96, Ian Byers ’96, Adam Jacobson ’97, Andrew Starr ’96, Kevin Gottlieb ’96, David
Seboek ’96, Brandon Roth ’96, Jen Roth ’96, Jen Luchessi Heptig ’98 and Keith Heptig ’98; (front row, from left)
Stephanie Evangelista Schoennauer ’95, Carrie DeAnthony Brostek ’95, Elizabeth Roberts McCusker ’96, Alison Proud
Stangle ’96, the bride and bridegroom, Timothy Fulton, Allison Eades Sutton ’98, Marc Schalberg ’96, Nikki DeMarco
Schalberg ’96, Colleen Feehan ’97, Aimee Nordin ’97 and Michelle Quackenbush Tiesi ’96. Amy and Jeffrey live in
Westfield, N.J. Amy designs accounting software for MYOB and Jeff is the art director of Co-Ed Magazine.
Tamara Miller ’03 and Scott Cunningham ’01, M ’03 were married July 24, 2004, in Massena at the
Sacred Heart Church with a reception that followed at the Knights of Columbus. Several Oswego
alumni, students and college staff joined the happy couple in celebrating their marriage, front row
from left, Kristin Nuzback ’01, Christine Loonam ’04, Jessica Mancini ’05, Colleen McGovern Zimmer ’01,
Stephanie Henry ’06, Kim Kedenburg and Michele Miller ’08; second row from left, Becky Nadzadi
(Residence Life staff), Luke Nadzadi (Admissions staff), the bride, the bridegroom, Amanda Parker
Morris ’03, Mary Kane ’04, Jay Button (faculty), Alison Westerhold ’03, and Saleem Cheeks ’01; back
row from left, Kate Herbrand Henneberry ’04, Matt Henneberry ’04, and Chris Mros ’06.
45
Jennifer Parkinson ’99 and Cara Marshall ’99 held
their commitment ceremony June 19, 2004, and were
married July 25, 2004, in Vancouver. Oswego alumni
in attendance were: (front row, from left) Codie the
dog, Lisa Simmons ’98 (resident director of Cayuga
Hall), Erin McCarthy ’00, Jennifer Parkinson ’99, Sara
Townsend ’00 and Colleen Comerford ’00; (lying in
front) Cara Marshall ’99; and (back row, from left)
Annetta Jacubiak O’Connor ’98, Lorri Poerio ’98, Kristi
DiGioia ’98, Marcy Wehling ’01, Katie Nicholson ’99,
Carrie Corcoran, Erin Stark ’00, Brandi Davis ’98 and
Noel Ludlovski. Jennifer teaches at Richmond Hill High
School. Cara is an adjunct professor at Queens
College, a Ph.D. student at Fordham University, and
vice president for educational technologies at a small
financial engineering firm. They reside in Queens.
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
I N
M E M O R I A M
Dorothy Daley Mizen ’18 of
Oswego passed away Aug. 30 at the
age of 106. She taught in Arlington,
N.J. before returning to Oswego
to teach at Cooper School and
Leighton School.
Kathryn Blake Drummond ’25
of Utica passed away Aug. 3. She
taught in the Utica School District
for 42 years.
Edith Roden Flubacher ’32 of
Wynantskill died Oct. 2.
Ruth Freeman Derby ’35 of
Ilion passed away April 19.
Shirley Zuck Gleason ’35 of
Oswego died June 30. She is survived
by a daughter, a son, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Genevieve Kehoe ’36 of Watertown died March 4, 2004.
Helen Weston Nostrant ’38 of
Port Byron died Nov. 2, 2003.
Catherine Cypher Wilson ’38 of
Venice, Fla., passed away July 2003.
Prior to her retirement, she taught in
Watertown. Catherine is survived by
her husband, Bob.
Mary Johnson Barry ’40 of
Rochester died Dec. 10. Prior to
retiring, she taught in the East Irondequoit School District. Mary is survived by a daughter, a son and five
grandchildren.
Pearl Bonham ’40 of Brownsville, Texas, died May 22, 2004. She is
survived by her husband, George.
Alwin Lehner ’41 of Oneida and
Largo, Fla., passed away June 19.
Along with his father and brothers,
he founded Canastota Frozen Food
Lockers, also known as Lehner
In Memoriam Policy
Printing notices of alumni
deaths is an important
service of Oswego alumni
magazine. In order to
insure the accuracy of
our reports, we require
verification before we
can publish a death
notice—an obituary or
a letter signed by a family
member. Because the
magazine is published
only three times a year
and we are working on
an issue months in
advance, there may be
a delay of several months
between the time we
receive notification and
the news is printed in the
magazine. Thank you for
your patience!
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
Jerome Ness ’51 of Plainview
died Oct. 13, 2003.
Dorothy Hency Smith ’52 of
Cicero passed away June 14. She
taught K-eighth grades at the oneroom Stone Arabia School until it
closed in 1951, then taught at Cicero
Elementary until her retirement in
1971.
Muriel Moy Eng ’54 of Rochester passed away Oct. 16.
Alfred Peevers ’54 of Cooperstown died Oct. 25, 2003. He served
with the Navy during World War II.
He earned a master’s degree from
Cornell in 1955. Al was personnel
director for the 1960 Winter
Olympics at Squaw Valley. He was a
real estate broker in Reno for many
years. Surviving are his wife, Vi;
three sons; 11 grandchildren and
seven great-grandchildren.
Francis Mulcahey ’55 of LaHabra Heights, Calif., died Aug. 7,
2004. He is survived by his wife,
Kathleen.
Florence Hutton Russum ’58
died Aug. 3, 2002.“She died on a Saturday just as our 4:15 train was
whistling out of Saranac Lake Station,”writes her husband, Rusty
Russum ’58. “Call me a bit odd, but I
like to think she caught that train,
she did so love to ride it.” In addition
to her husband, she is survived by
two children, four grandchildren
and three great-grandchildren.
Gary Sevak ’58 of Baldwinsville
passed away Aug. 25. He taught in
the North Syracuse School District
for many years, retiring in 1991.
Gary is survived by a son, Christopher.
Herbert Yules ’58 of Brooklyn
died March 4, 2004. He is survived
by his wife, Diane.
Ronald Gates ’60 of Sylvan
Beach passed away Feb. 16, 2004.
Nancy Searles ’60 of New Haven
died June 7. She taught in Palermo
from 1960 to 1976 and in New
Haven from 1976 until her retirement in 1994.
Patricia Calletto ’62 of Batavia
passed away April 23.
Margaret Clark Woolfolk ’62 of
Williamsburg passed away July 27.
James Komanecky ’65 of Camillus died Aug. 16. Jim was employed
by the Westhill School District for 32
years as an elementary teacher and
guidance counselor, retiring in 1997.
He is survived by his wife, Evelyn; a
son and a daughter.
Gary Brana-Shute ’67 of Charleston, S.C., passed away Feb. 20, 2004.
Brothers. He retired in 1982. Surviving are his wife, Helen; a daughter; a
son; four grandchildren and three
great-grandchildren.
Joseph Ritter ’41 of Baldwinsville passed away July 14. He was a
veteran of World War II. Joseph
attended NYU and Columbia University to earn his master’s degree
in administration. Prior to retiring
in 1971, he spent 26 years as an
elementary school principal in Baldwinsville. Joseph is survived by a
son, a daughter and three grandchildren.
Joseph Francis Sagneri ’41 of
Rockville, Md., passed away Dec. 20.
He earned his master’s degree in
education from the University of
Maryland and was retired from his
career as supervisor of pupil services with the Montgomery County
Board of Education. He is survived
by his wife of 34 years, Beverly;
three daughters, Corinne Barnes,
Joan Gamble and Mary Galindo;
and two grandchildren. Joseph was
preceded in death by his first wife,
Mary Molinari. Also among his
survivors is nephew Michael J.
Stanley, husband of Oswego State
President Deborah F. Stanley.
Burney Taylor ’41 of Stowe, Vt.,
passed away Sept. 1. After graduation, Burney taught industrial arts in
Rutherford, N.J., for one year before
enlisting in the United States Navy as
an aviator during World War II.
After leaving the Navy, he returned
to teaching in the Somers Central
School District where he taught for
19 years before becoming high
school principal, then assistant to
the superintendent of schools. Burney retired in 1975. Surviving are his
wife, Florence; two children; three
grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Betty Mahaney Norton ’42 of
Oswego died Aug. 28. She is survived
by a daughter and a grandson.
Peter Mathews ’43 of Ocala, Fla.,
passed away Sept. 19. He is survived
by his wife, Mary Rose Hullar
Mathews ’43.
James Evans ’49 of Johns Island,
S.C., passed away April 20, 2004.
Frank Klosowski ’50 of Syracuse
passed away Aug. 1. Frank served
with the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945
aboard the USS Electra. He taught industrial arts in Dansville and later
worked as a structural designer for
Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. for 29
years. Surviving are a daughter, two
sons and eight grandchildren.
46
He is survived by his wife, Rosemary.
George Coles ’68 of Largo, Fla.,
died March 10, 2004.
Robert Brown ’75 of Kingwood,
West Va., passed away Sept. 17.
James Montpelier ’76 of
Ogdensburg died Nov. 19, 2003.
Mark Witter ’77 of Bellingham,
Wash., died June 16.
Margaret Smith ’80 of Oswego
died Aug. 15. Surviving are her
mother and three brothers.
Ronald W. Somers ’89 of Huntington died Aug. 29 when the helicopter he was piloting crashed along
Crab Meadow Beach on Long Island. At the time of the accident Ron
was working on his dream to become a Certified Fight Instructor.
He is survived by his parents and
four sisters. Friends wishing to get in
touch with Ron’s family may contact
the Alumni Office.
Edward Bokuniewicz ’91 of
Baldwinsville passed away March 15,
2004.
Julie Weiter Tetrault ’97 of
Mexico passed away Nov. 13, 2003.
Kathy Cole Paye ’02 of Pulaski
died Aug. 15. She earned a bachelor’s
degree from Brockport and a registered nursing degree from Regents
College. Kathy was a nursing instructor at Oswego County BOCES
and was also employed by Oswego
Hospital. She is survived by her
husband, Mark; two sons; three
daughters and one granddaughter.
Nevart derBoghosian, Associate
Professor Emeritus of Education, of
Manlius died Jan. 26, 2004.
Judith McCann, a member of
Oswego’s custodial department for
19 years, passed away Aug. 23. At the
time of her death, she worked in
Oneida Hall. Judy is survived by a
daughter.
Lee Winet, instructor in the
communication studies department,
died Aug. 9. Lee came to Oswego as a
visiting instructor in 1980 and went
on to become a full-time faculty
member until retiring in 2000. After
retiring, she continued to teach as an
adjunct professor in communication
studies. She earned bachelor’s degrees
from Stephens College in Columbia,
Miss., and Syracuse University as well
as a master’s degree from Syracuse
University.
SEND US YOUR YEARBOOKS!
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in the basement, collecting dust?
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you flipped through it after graduation?
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Oswego Alumni Association to share
with fellow alumni and current students?
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If you answered “Yes” to these questions,
send your old yearbooks to:
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47
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
Word
T
H
E
L
A S T
My Dinners with Mitch
IT’S A HIKE FOR ME AND EVEN
more of a hike for him. But we
make the long drive to a restaurant
in Stockbridge in the Berkshires of
Western Massachusetts anyway,
and we’ve done so at least once a
year for the better part of the last
decade now. We come — he from
eastern Mass and the coastal and
inland outposts of his burgeoning
business and I from New York’s
Capital District, where I write for a
financial services company — as
two devotees of an old friendship.
The bonding began in August
of 1969, that penultimate year of
the wild ’60s, when we met as freshmen on the seventh floor of Seneca
Hall. We were mere boys then, although we certainly would have denied that at the time, and we’re now
what our younger selves would
have called old men (though we’d
deny that, too). We were two of several dozen adolescents the fickle
fates threw together on the floor
that year, most of whom would lose
touch with each other — even with
roommates — within a few years.
But while Mitch Kupperman ’73
and I have never taken up a huge
amount of space in each other’s
lives, what space we do take is
reserved. We’ve stood the test of
time, and that’s no small feat.
One of my oldest memories of
Mitch is of how he handled himself
in a fight that almost literally fell in
his lap. We were shooting the bull
in a room in which one of the residents was an accordion player.
Looking for a place to sit in the
small, crowded space, Mitch chose
the accordion case. Its owner, a
truculent, hair-trigger type who
didn’t last long at Oswego, sprang
at Mitch like a cat and tried to push
him down. They had both been
OSWEGO

Spring 2005
and locks sealed us in. Outside, and
nearly crushed against the thick
glass of the door, was Mitch. When
I finally got out, nine or 10 harrowing hours later, Mitch was one of
the first people I saw.
I transferred to Binghamton
for my sophomore year — bad
move — and by the time I came
back to Oz, early in 1971, Mitch was
an RA on Seneca 8. I didn’t see him
much that year, but we always kept
in touch. All the years since then
have been the same, and admittedly
the ties have gotten tenuous at
times. But there’s never been a
breaking point, and I think that’s
because old friends like Mitch and
me never have to start over again,
for all the catching up they do.
There is, after all, a lot of shared
water under the Bridge Street, even
if we’ve sometimes let years go by
without seeing each other. Mitch
also became close with Vin Vito,
my roommate freshman year, who
was my oldest friend from high
school. In 1982, when Vin died,
Mitch helped me deal with my grief
at the funeral. Earlier, when I’d
shared an apartment in New York
City’s East Village with Vin and
two other guys, Mitch had been an
inspiration to us. While we were
trying to scrounge jobs during the
great “stagflation” of 1974 that paid
maybe $8,000 to $10,000 per year,
we were flabbergasted to hear that
Mitch was knocking down the incredible sum of $14,000! The fact
that it was a dangerous job that put
his life in jeopardy to the juvenile
delinquents he was supposed to
be mentoring cut no ice with us.
Hazardous-duty pay or not, Mitch’s
coup became legend.
He and I both dated the same
gorgeous Oswego girl for a while —
Jeff Durstewitz ’73 is the coauthor, with Ruth Williams, of the
award-winning memoir Younger
Than That Now — A Shared
Passage From the Sixties (Bantam).
wrestlers in high school and were in
more or less the same weight class,
as fate would have it, and Mitch,
though taken totally by surprise,
made his attacker settle for a draw.
(The accordion, so far as I know,
was unhurt.)
Later, he laughed about the incident — which had sent adrenaline coursing through everyone in
the room at the time. “If I’d known
he was so sensitive, I would have
kept standing!” That’s Mitch to a T
— a humorist and a humanist by
nature, but one who can take care
of himself if need be.
One morning toward the end
of that school year, several friends
from Seneca 7 including me and
Mitch set out for the Union but
never made it. It was the day the
students took over the Power Tower
in the wake of Kent State, and we
literally got swept up into the
human tide surging toward the
building. Three of us suddenly
found ourselves inside, but after me
the door swung shut and chains
48
although at different times — and
he graciously stepped aside so I
could marry her. He met a young
woman at one of the special
schools he taught at, and she
turned out to be the daughter of a
tycoon whose retailing empire
Mitch later joined and helped to direct. His heights-to-depths-andback tale is the stuff of a thriller, and
he may yet write one. But the upshot of his amazing career was that
he learned and grew and learned
and grew some more. Whether I’ve
done the same isn’t for me to say,
but I don’t think he’d keep coming
to the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge
— through rain and sleet, sometimes — if I hadn’t. We look at each
other and laugh at the clueless kids
we once were and cry, inwardly at
least, at the graying sachems sitting
across from each other. We see and
feel the myriad internal scars —
detectable only with the aid of
more than 35 years of friendship —
crisscrossing each other’s souls.
Now we’re both fathers, and
we’ve both been in business (although his experience dwarfs
mine). Our families have met, and
we follow the trajectories of each
other’s lives keenly.We have leisurely dinners at the Red Lion, but even
when they last three hours — hours
we’ll both feel the next day in lost
sleep — there’s always more to say.
“Next time,” we assure each other
before we hug and go our separate
ways, and although the next time
usually isn’t as soon as we’d hoped,
it always arrives. And why not? If
our friendship has survived since
that long-ago year at Oswego, it
should last a good while longer.
© copyright 2004 by Jeff Durstewitz

The Road to Wisteria Lane The Road to Wisteria

Transcription

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